iflr 


U| 


o 


/ 


SUNSHINE  AND  STORM  IN  THE  EAST 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2016  with  funding  from 
Getty  Research  Institute 


https://archive.org/details/sunshinestormineOObras_O 


Map  showing' 

TRACKS  of  the  YACHT  “SUNBEAM" 

1874-5. 1878 


HEADQUARTERS,  NIKOSIA. 


SUNSHINE  AND  STORM 


IN  THE  EAST 

OR 


CRUISES  TO  CYPRUS  AND  CONSTANTINOPLE 


BY 

MRS.  BRASSEY 

AUTHOR  OF  “AROUND  THE  WORLD  IN  THE  YACHT  SUN  REAM  ” 


With  upwards  of  100  Illustrations 
Chiefly  from  Drawings  by  the  Hon.  A.  Y.  Bingham 


NEW  YORK 

HENRY  HOLT  AND  COMPANY 

1 880 


DEDICATION, 


tl)£ 

BRAVE  TRUE-HEARTED  SAILORS  OF  ENGLAND, 

OF  ALL  RANKS  AND  SERVICES, 

Jpagrs  are  jO equate 5. 


I love  the  sailor  : his  eventful  life, 

His  generous  spirit — his  contempt  of  danger — 

His  firmness  in  the  gale,  the  wreck,  the  strife  : 

And  though  a wild  and  reckless  ocean-ranger, 

God  grant  he  make  that  port,  when  life  is  o’er, 
Where  storms  are  hushed  and  billows  break  no  more. 


Disembarkation  of  the  Sultan  at  Mosque  at  Fundukll. 


PREFACE. 


My  tables , my  tables , — meet  it  is,  I set  it  down. 


N our  return  from  a 
cruise  to  the  Arctic 
Circle  in  1874,  after 
remaining  but  a few 
days  in  England,  we 
started  on  a voyage 
to  the  East.  It  had 
always  been  a dream 
of  my  youth  to  visit 
Constantinople,  the 
city  of  gilded  palaces  and  mosques,  of  harems  and 
romance — to  skim  the  placid  waters  of  the  Bos- 
phorus and  the  Golden  Horn  ; and  the  present  time 
seemed  to  furnish  an  excellent  opportunity  to  do 
all  this,  and  to  revisit  the  Ionian  Islands.  I con- 
tinued my  old  practice  of  writing  long  journal  letters 
home  to  my  father,  to  be  afterwards  circulated  among 
other  relatives  and  more  intimate  friends.  The 


Vlll 


PREFACE. 


‘Voyage  in  the  Sunbeam’  has  been  so  kindly  re- 
ceived that  I am  encouraged  to  present  these  letters 
also  to  the  public. 

In  1878  we  found  ourselves  once  more  in  the 
Mediterranean.  This  cruise  included  a visit  to 
Cyprus  and  a second  visit  to  Constantinople. 
Melancholy  indeed  seemed  the  change  in  the 
Turkish  capital  during  the  four  years  since  our  last 
visit — a change  from  all  that  was  bright  and  glitter- 
ing  to  all  that  was  dull  and  miserable  and  wretched. 
It  may  perhaps  be  interesting  to  the  reader  to 
compare  impressions  formed  under  circumstances 
so  widely  different,  though  the  narrative  must 
necessarily  appear  disjointed  and  disconnected  on 
account  of  the  intervening  years.  The  title  of 
the  book  is  meant  to  indicate  the  change  which  had 
passed  over  Constantinople  in  the  period  between 
our  two  visits. 

A journal  kept  while  cruising  in  the  Mediterra- 
nean, though  less  novel  than  the  story  of  a family 
yachting  voyage  round  the  world,  may  yet  present 
some  points  of  interest  to  the  many  friendly  readers 
of  ‘ A Voyage  in  the  Sunbeam.’ 

The  illustrations  are  chiefly  from  drawings  by 
the  Hon.  A.  Y.  Bingham  ; a few  are  from  other 


PREFACE. 


IX 


artists  and  from  photographs  taken  by  myself. 
They  have  been  all  engraved  on  wood  by  Mr. 
Pearson. 


ANNIE  BRASSEY. 


CONTENTS. 


PART  L 

CONSTANTINOPLE,  IONIAN  ISLANDS.  (1874.) 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  Our  Start — Ryde,  Tangier,  and  Gibraltar  . 1 

II.  Tetuan,  Ceuta,  and  Sicily  . . . .16 

III.  Athens,  Greece,  and  the  Archipelago  . . 32 

IV.  Constantinople  . 51 

V.  The  Bosphorus  and  its  Palaces  . . . . 63 

VI.  The  Black  Sea,  Skutari, 'Broussa,  Harems  . 75 

VII.  Visits  from  Turkish  Ladies.  Feast  of  Bairam. 

Walls  and  Palaces  of  Constantinople  . .101 

VIII.  The  Sea  of  Marmora,  Dardanelles,  Smyrna, 

Ephesus,  Chios,  and  Milo  . . . .112 

IX.  Zante,  Ithaca,  Cephalonia,  Corfu,  and  Al- 
bania . . . . „ . . ..131 

X.  Paxos,  Spartivento,  Messina,  and  Naples  . 148 

XI.  Bastia,  Nice,  Paris,  and  Home  , ..  „ s 165 


CONTENTS. 


xii 


PART  IT. 

CYPRUS,  CONSTANTINOPLE.  (i 878.) 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  Portsmouth,  Brest,  and  Vigo  . . . . 175 

II.  Cadiz,  Seville,  and  Gibraltar  . . . .193 

III.  Oran  and  Cagliari  . . . . . . 212 

IV.  Naples,  Pompeii,  P^estum,  Capri,  Messina,  and 

Cyprus  . . . . . . 0 . 232 

V.  Island  of  Cyprus. — Port  Papho,  Limasol,  Lar- 

NAKA  , , . . . . . 250 

VI.  Nikosia,  Mathiati,  and  Famagousta  . . . 264* 

VII.  Kyrenia,  Morfu,  Kikko,  and  Karavastasia  . . 290 

VIII.  Rhodes,  Besika  Bay,  the  Dardanelles  . * 307 

IX.  Artaki  Bay,  English  Fleet,  and  Constanti- 

nople ......  . 324 

X.  Adrianople  . . • . . . „ ..  354 

XI.  Constantinople  again,  Gallipoli,  Syra,  and 

Milo  367 

XII.  Milo  to  Malea  and  Malta  . = . 387 

XIII.  From  Malta  to  Marseilles  . . . , . 396 

XIV.  Home  once  more  405 


CONTENTS. 


xiii 


APPENDIX. 

1874. 

PAGE  * 

Log  of  Yacht’s  Homeward  Journey  from  Nice  . .411 

List  of  our  Party,  Crew,  and  Servants  . . .415 

Summary  of  the  Voyage  . . , , . . . 417 

1878. 

List  of  our  Party,  Crew,  and  Servants  . . . 420 

Programme  of  the  Oran  Races  . . , . . 422 

Temperature  of  Cyprus  , , , , . = .426 

Note  A .......  430 

Note  B . . . » . . . . . . 431 

Note  C .........  . 432 

Summary  of  the  Voyage  .......  434 

Postscript  . . . 437 

INDEX  439 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

[ Engraved  by  G.  Pearson .] 


MAPS. 

Map  showing  Tracks  of  the  ‘Sunbeam’  in  1874-5 

and  1878  . , At  commencement,  before  Frontispiece 

Map  of  the  Island  of  Cyprus,  showing  the  Track 

of  the  ‘Sunbeam’  . At  end  of  Book,  after  Index 

FULL- PAGE  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Headquarters,  Nikosia  . . . Bingham  . Frontispiece 

Dining  Saloon  . Photograph  To  face  p.  76 

The  ‘Sunbeam’  in  a Gale  off  Milo  Bingham  . 

Vigo  Bay  .....  Bingham  . 

Kyrenia  . . , . . . Bingham  . 

Convent  of  La  Pais  . . . Bingham  . 

Meeting  Sir  Garnet  Wolseley  . Bingham  . 

Naumachia  at  Cyzicus  , . . Bingham  . 

Adrianople  — Bridge  over  the  ) , 

[Bingham  . 

Tunja  J * 


126 

174 

29O 

292 

296 

33° 

358 


XVI 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


WOODCUTS  IN  TEXT 


Disembarkation  of  the  Sultan 

| Photograph  by  Mrs. 

PAGE 

at  Mosque  at  Fundukli 

Brassey  . 

. vi 

A Peep  through  a Porthole. 

Mott  . 

. vii 

A Rough  Night  for  Boating  . 

Bingham  . 

i 

Cape  St.  Vincent  . . . 

Bingham 

7 

Tangier  . 

Photograph 

9 

Bargaining  in  the  Bazaar  . . 

Hodgson 

ii 

Moorish  Musician 

Photograph 

• x3 

Woman  of  Tetuan  . . . . 

Photograph  . 

21 

Gibraltar  ..... 

Bingham  . 

. 25 

Deck  View  . . . . 

Photograph  . 

• 33 

Greek  Costume  . • . 

Photograph 

• 38 

Athens  . . . . . . . 

( Photograph  by  Mrs. 

' Brassey 

. 40 

Woman  of  Athens 

Photograph 

. 42 

The  Promenade  at  Euripo  . . i 

i 

[ Photograph  by  Mrs. 
i Brassey 

- 45 

Castle  of  Euripo  . . . J 

Photograph  by  Mrs. 

1 

Brassey  . 

• 47 

General  View  of  Constantinople 

Preziosi 

• 5i 

Tower  of  Hero  and  Leander,  . 
in  the  Bosphorus  . * j 

Photograph 

• 55 

Fountain  St.  Sophia  . . . 

Photograph  . 

• 59 

Turkish  Waist  Clasp  . 

Photograph 

62 

LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

xvii 

PAGE 

Yacht’s  Deckhouse 

- . 

Photograph  . 

• 7o 

Turkish  Lady 

Photograph 

• 74 

Dancing  Dervishes 

Photograph  . 

» 77 

Turkish  Cemetery 

j Photograph  by  Mrs. 
\ Brassey  . 

. 82 

Soldiers’  Cemetery  at  Skutari. 

Photograph  . 

83 

The  Sultan’s  Caique  . 

Mott . 

• 85 

Broussa  from  Hotel  d’Olympe.1  . 

Preziosi 

. 90 

The  Sultan’s  Youngest  Son 

Photograph 

. hi 

Original  Sketch  by  the 

Sultan 

Abdul  Aziz  . 

• 113 

Smyrna  Camel 

Photograph 

• 117 

Aqueduct  near  Ephesus 

1 Photograph  by  Mrs. 
{ Brassey 

• 11 9 

A Camp  on  the  Road 

/ Photograph  by  Mrs. 
1 Brassey  . 

. 122 

Munie,  Mr.  Crake,  Evie 

Robin- 

/ Photograph  by  Mrs. 

SON,  AND  FELISE 

( Brassey 

• 12  5 

Ruins  of  Amphitheatre  at 

1 Photograph  by  Mrs. 

Milo 

{ Brassey  . 

00 

M 

The  ‘Sunbeam’  when 

LAUNCHED  . 

first  1 

. . i 

- Photograph  . 

• I30 

A Church  at  Zante  . 

| Photograph  by  Mrs. 
i Brassey . 

> 131 

Olive-gathering  in  Cephalonia,  j 

' Photograph  by  Mrs. 
Brassey 

• 134 

An  Extra  Bath  . 

• 

Bingham  . 

. 141 

Some  of  our  Crew  . 

• -i 

Photograph  by  Mrs. 
Brassey  . , . 

■ I44 

Citadel  of  Corfu 

• 

Photograph 

I45 

1 Incorrectly  printed  in  the  inscription,  ‘ Hotel  de  l’Europe.* 


xviii  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE 

An  Unpleasant  Demand  for  ] 

j-  Bingham  . 

. 147 

Ammunition  . . . . J 

The  Smoking  Room 

Photograph  . 

• 154 

Amphitheatre  at  Taormina  . . 

Photograph 

• 157 

Harbour  at  Bastia 

Photograph  , 

• i65 

Last  of  the  ‘Eurydice’  . . 

Bingham  . 

• US 

The  ‘Assistance  ’ running  into  us 

Bingham 

. 178 

Dining  under  Difficulties  . . 

Bingham  . 

. 180 

A small  Derelict 

Mott 

. 187 

Off  the  Bayona  Islands  . . 

Bingham  . 

c 190 

Tobacco  Manufactory  at  Seville 

Bingham 

. 199 

A Water  Party  .... 

Bingham  . 

. 206 

Colliding  nearly  . . . . 

Bingham 

209 

Spanish  Market  Boat 

Bingham  . 

. 2 1 1 

Oran  Harbour  . . . . 

Photograph  . 

. 212 

Moorish  Girl 

Photograph 

• 215 

Our  State  Room  . . . . 

Photograph  . 

. 219 

Amphitheatre  at  Cagliari. 

Photograph 

. 229 

Sardinian  Clothes-dealer  . . 

Photograph  . 

. 23I 

Bay  of  Naples  .... 

Bingham  . 

• 233 

‘The  Image  of  him  ! J . . 

Bingham 

. 24O 

Landing-place  at  Capri 

Bingham  . 

• 243 

Woman  of  Capri  . . . 

Bingham 

. 244 

Steps  at  Anacapri 

Barclay , R.A.  . 

. 246 

Cape  Spada  

Bingham 

. 248 

Earring  from  Curium 

Mott . 

. 249 

Port  Papho  ..... 

Bingham 

. 250 

Mounting  the  ‘ Minotaur  ’ 

Bingham  . 

. 252 

Earring  from  Curium  . 

Mott  . 

. 256 

LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


xix 


Larnaka  . . . . . . 

Bingham  . 

PAGE 

, 26l 

Gold  Earring  • . 

Mott 

. . 263 

‘ Will  they  ever  hear  ? ’ . . 

Bingham  . 

. 264 

Asking  for  a Pilot  . 

Bingham 

• 265 

Arrival  in  Camp  . . . . 

Bingham  . 

- 267 

Ruins  of  Famagousta 

Bingham 

, 284 

Ancient  Guns  . . . . 

Bingham  . 

. 287 

‘ Get  up,  you  lazy  man  ! ’ . 

Bingham 

c 0 289 

A Heavy  Load  . . . . 

Bingham  . 

. 294 

Kind  Attentions. 

Bingham 

. . 299 

Prison  at  Rhodes  . . . . 

Harry  Johnson  . 

. 306 

Rhodes 

Muller  . 

- ■ 3°7 

Street  of  the  Knights  . . . 

Photograph 

. 310 

‘ Ma’s  Donkey  Man  ’ . 

Bingham  . . 

■ • 312 

Upside  Down  ..... 

Bingham  . 

. 316 

Bonner’s  Pigeon  .... 

Mott 

. . 320 

‘ Sunbeam  ’ aground  . . . 

Bingham  . 

. 322 

‘ Why,  here’s  the  Owl  ! ’ . 

Mott  . 

• • 323 

Lunch  with  a Turk 

Bingham  . 

• 330 

‘YOU  ARE  NOT  A TENNIS  BALL  !’  . 

Bingham 

• • 333 

Mosque  of  Sultan  Achmed  . . 

Photograph 

* 335 

Refugees  at  Princess  Nazli’s  ■ 
Door  ..... 

j.  Bingham 

• • 339 

Pigeons  at  the  Mosque.  . . 

Bingham  . 

• 344 

Pick-a-back  ..... 

Bingham 

* • 346 

Princesses  embarking. 

Bingham  . 

• 349 

Turkish  Bracelet 

Mott  . . 

• ■ 35 1 

Bulgarian  Earring  . . 

Mott . 

■ 353 

Bulgarian  Earring 

Mott  . 

• ■ 359 

XX 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS . 


Refugees  on  Train 
Earrings  and  Necklet  in  one 
Bulgarian  Child’s  Bracelet. 
Children’s  Nursery  . 

Braving  the  Elements  . 

Syra  . 

Hermit  of  Malea  . 

A Quiet  Time 

The  Meet  at  Battle  Abbey 


PAGE 


Mott 

■ ■ 364 

Mott . 

• 366 

Mott 

• 368 

Photograph 

• 373 

Bingham 

Oo 

■—J 

00 

Photograph 

• 38° 

Bingham 

• • 389 

Mott 

• 395 

Bingham 

• • 407 

PART  I. 

CONSTANTINOPLE  AND  THE 
IONIAN  ISLANDS. 


1874. 


Lying  off  Hyde 


SUNSHINE  AND  STORM  IN  THE  EAST 

(1874-1878). 

CHAPTER  I. 

OUR  START — R.YDE,  TANGIER,  AND  GIBRALTAR. 

One  woe  doth  tread  upon  another  s heels, 

So  fast  they  follow. 

On  Friday , September  3 rd,  1869,  we  had  started  from 
Cowes  in  the  ‘Meteor’  for  the  opening  of  the  Suez  Canal. 
In  more  ways  than  one  that  cruise  turned  out  badly,  as 
the  equinoctial  gales  detained  us  three  weeks  at  Brest,  and 
the  yacht  had  been  driven  back  to  Southampton,  obliging 
us  to  make  the  first  part  of  our  voyage  by  the  ordi- 
nary means  of  conveyance.  I caught  a bad  fever  while 


PRINCE  AND  PRINCESS  OF  ROUMANIA. 


travelling  in  Syria,  of  which  I nearly  died  in  Malta,  and  still 
feel  the  ill  effects  sometimes.  However,  we  were  not  in- 
fluenced by  the  sailor’s  superstition,  and  arranged  to  start 
again  on  Friday , September  4,  1874,  from  Hastings  in  the 
‘Sunbeam.’  On  that  morning  it  poured  with  rain,  and  blew 
with  such  force  that  the  Fishermen’s  Regatta  had  to  be 
postponed,  with  the  exception  of  the  Fishing  Boats’  Race. 
These  boats  are  able  to  sail  in  any  weather,  but  only  ten 
started  out  of  thirty-seven  entered,  and  even  these  were 
under  double-reefed  sails. 

Saturday , September  $tk,  was  a lovely  morning,  without 
a breath  of  air,  but  by  half-past  ten  the  wind  began  to  rise  ; 
by  twelve  it  was  high,  and  before  two  it  was  blowing  a 
gale.  When  the  yacht  arrived  and  dropped  her  anchor,  it 
was  with  great  difficulty  that  the  luggage  could  be  got  on 
board,  soaking  wet,  by  a sort  of  extemporised  crane. 

Monday , September  7th,  was  finer,  but  with  a strong 
southerly  wind  still.  We  lunched  with  the  Prince  and 
Princess  of  Roumania  in  St.  Leonards,  saw  some  interesting 
rocket  practice  (for  saving  life  at  sea),  and  then  drove  to 
Court  Lodge,  in  order  to  afford  our  guests  an  opportunity 
of  seeing  something  of  Sussex  farming,  hop-picking,  and 
fat  beasts,  with  which  they  were  much  interested.  This 
was  followed  by  a rough  and  homely  tea,  which  we  all 
enjoyed,  and  it  was  long  after  dark  before  we  separated, 
with  mutual  regrets,  and  promises  to  meet  again  in 
Roumania,  which  country  they  gave  us  a hearty  invitation 
to  visit. 

Tuesday , September  8th. — I had  a telegram  from  Tom  to 
meet  him  at  Ryde ; so  we  left  Bexhill  at  half-past  one,  and 
arrived  in  due  course  at  Portsmouth.  A rough  crossing  to 


ROUGH  WEATHER. 


3 

Ryde  pier,  and  a good  tossing  in  the  gig,  took  us  on  board 
the  ‘ Sunbeam/  which  we  found  all  ready  for  sea ; but  there 
was  apparently  no  hope  of  starting  for  some  time. 

Wednesday  gth  and  Thursday  10 th  were  terribly  rough. 
Most  of  the  yachts  slipped  away  to  Portsmouth,  South- 
ampton, or  to  lay  up,  and  I do  not  think  a single  yacht’s 
boat  tried  to  land  except  our  own,  which,  being  a powerful 
lifeboat  cutter,  was  very  safe  and  tolerably  dry,  though 
heavy  to  work  under  oars. 

Friday,  September  nth,  was  calmer,  but  very  wet. 
Tom  and  I went  over  to  Sandown  with  the  children,  to 
spend  the  day  with  some  old  friends.  Sandown  itself  is 
wonderfully  altered  and  improved  since  we  were  there  last. 
Many  pretty  rows  of  villas  with  verandahs  have  sprung 
up,  in  gardens  of  their  own,  looking  more  like  a German 
watering-place  than  one  of  our  stiff  ‘parades  by  the  sea/ 
After  lunch,  Tom  and  a friend  decided  to  walk  home. 
The  children,  being  very  wet  after  their  dabble  on  the 
sands,  were  sent  back  by  the  first  train,  and  I arranged  to 
drive  out  to  Bonchurch  and  return  by  the  6.30  train.  'We 
had  a lovely  drive  in  spite  of  the  rain ; but  the  pony  was 
fat  and  slow,  and  we  arrived  at  the  station  just  in  time 
to  see  the  train  going  off.  We  drove  on  to  Sandown,  and 
my  host  kindly  accompanied  me  to  the  pier-head  at  Ryde, 
where  I found  the  cutter  and  six  men  had  been  waiting 
for  me  since  seven.  Our  old  captain,  Bishop,  who  has 
retired,  and  is  now  a yacht-agent  ashore  instead  of  a yacht- 
captain  afloat,  tried  hard  to  persuade  me  not  to  go  off,  as 
it  was  blowing  so  hard,  pouring  with  rain,  and  pitch-dark. 
However,  I knew  the  boat  and  the  men,  and  how  anxious 
those  on  board  would  be  if  I did  not  arrive.  I therefore 


4 


BOARDING  IN  A GALE . 


determined  to  start,  with  three  reefs  in  the  lugsail,  two  men 
holding  on  to  the  halyards,  one  to  the  sheet,  all  ready  to  let 
go.  As  soon  as  we  got  from  under  the  lee  of  the  pier  we 
were  nearly  blown  back.  Then  we  narrowly  escaped  being 
run  down  by  a steamer,  which  the  wind  would  not  allow 
us  to  weather.  Being  compelled  to  bear  up,  we  had  hard 
work  beating  to  windward  ; but  we  persevered,  although 
at  every  minute  we  shipped  seas,  which  kept  three  men 
constantly  baling.  At  last,  just  as  I was  beginning  to 
despair,  John,  the  coxswain,  cried  out,  ‘Down  sail  and  pull 
for  your  lives,  men,  or  we  shan’t  get  on  board  to-night/ 
We  saw  the  yacht,  a perfect  blaze  of  light,  the  deck- 
house illuminated,  and  lights  all  along  the  bulwarks, 
which  were  lined  with  the  anxious  faces  of  all  on  board, 
passengers,  servants,  children,  and  crew,  some  holding 
lanterns,  and  some  ropes.  We  bumped  against  the  yacht, 
ropes  were  thrown  over,  and  we  were  with  great  difficulty 
passed  round  under  the  stern,  tossing  about,  sometimes 
far  above  and  sometimes  far  below  the  yacht,  till  we  were 
under  the  lee  side.  Then  I was  most  thankful  to  be  half 
thrown,  half  dragged  on  board.  The  men  followed  as 
best  they  could,  clinging  and  swarming  up  the  ropes  like 
monkeys.  Wet  and  terrified  as  I was,  it  was  nothing  to 
what  they  had  suffered  on  board.  For  the  last  two  trips 
the  boat  had  been  half  full  of  water,  and  as  the  gale  had 
been  increasing  for  the  last  hour,  they  had  almost  given  us 
up  for  lost.  When  one  of  the  crew  first  saw  our  boat 
through  the  black  darkness,  Tom  was  just  starting  in  the 
other  cutter  with  ten  men  to  look  for  us,  and  if  possible  to 
stop  my  trying  to  get  on  board  that  night.  Had  we  missed 
the  yacht  the  first  time,  it  would  have  been  impossible  to 


LUCKY  SUNDAY. 


5 


pull  up  to  her  again.  We  should  then  have  been  obliged 
to  run  for  Portsmouth  Harbour,  and  probably  to  stay  out 
all  night,  or  till  the  tide  turned  or  the  wind  moderated.  It 
was  really  blowing  a regular  equinoctial  gale.  We  had 
two  anchors  down,  with  sixty  fathoms  of  chain  on  one  and 
forty  on  the  other  anchor,  and  even  then  we  dragged. 

Saturday , September  12 th. — After  all  the  trouble  and 
anxiety  with  the  boats  yesterday,  Tom  thought  it  better 
to  go  into  Portsmouth  Harbour,  where  we  could  land 
in  peace  in  any  weather.  We  steamed  across,  and  took 
up  our  old  quarters  at  the  buoy  belonging  to  the  ‘ St. 
Vincent’s  ’ brig.  In  the  afternoon  we  went  to  a pleasant 
dance  on  board  the  ‘ Excellent,’  where  we  met  many  old 
Mediterranean  and  Canadian  friends,  some  of  whom  ad- 
journed to  tea  on  board  the  £ Sunbeam.’  The  weather 
had  quite  taken  up,  the  wind  changed  to  N.E.,  and  we 
wanted  to  be  off  at  once.  But  some  of  our  men  were  on 
shore ; provisions  and  water  also  were  wanted ; so  we 
determined  to  start  at  six  the  next  morning. 

Sunday , September  1 3///.— Sailors  love  to  start  on 
Sunday  as  much  as  they  hate  to  start  on  Friday.  Everyone, 
therefore,  was  in  good  spirits  as  on  this  most  lovely  morning 
we  steamed  slowly  out  of  the  harbour,  past  Ryde  and  Cowes, 
through  the  Solent  to  the  Needles,  which  we  passed  at  10 
a.m.,  and  got  into  the  swell  outside  just  as  we  were  having 
service  at  1 1 a.m.  By  noon  we  were  off  St.  Alban’s  Head. 
At  7.30  p.m.  off  the  Start.  Flat  calm.  Our  party  this  time 
consists  of  Tom,  myself,  and  the  three  children,  Tab,  Ma- 
belle,  and  Baby,  of  which  the  two  eldest  are  to  return  from 
Gibraltar  with  Fisher  ; Mr.  Swift,  with  my  cousin  Miss  Eva 
Robinson,  and  Mr.  Bingham,  completing  our  number. 


6 


OFF  THE  ROCK  OF  LISBON. 


Monday , September  14 th. — Still  calm.  At  10  a.m.  we 
were  off  Ushant,  at  noon  off  the  Chaussee  de  Sein,  having 
come  from  Portsmouth — 278  miles  —in  twenty-eight  hours. 
At  1 p.m.  we  ceased  steaming,  and  with  a light  north- 
easterly breeze,  and  all  fore  and  aft  sail  set,  steered  for 
Cape  Ortegal. 

Tuesday , September  i$th.  In  the  Bay  of  Biscay,  with 
pleasant  weather,  moderate  sea,  and  wind  from  S.E.  At 
noon  we  had  sailed  1 1 3 miles  since  the  same  hour  yesterday, 
and  were  176  miles  from  Cape  Ortegal. 

Wednesday , September  \6tJ1. — We  made  the  land  near 
Cape  Ortegal  about  2 p.m.,  and  at  10  p.m.  were  about 
1 5 miles  from  Cape  Finisterre,  with  the  revolving  light  in 
view.  In  the  morning  it  was  so  calm  that  when  Muriel, 
in  a fit  of  mischief,  threw  her  shoe  overboard,  the  dingy 
was  lowered  to  pick  it  up.  The  weather  was  bright  and 
sunny,  with  paltry  winds.  We  tried  sailing,  but,  after  flop- 
ping about  in  a very  heavy  swell  from  noon  till  1 1 p.m., 
we  raised  the  funnel  and  proceeded  under  steam,  to  the 
great  comfort  of  everybody  on  ooard.  Distance,  from 
nooii  yesterday  till  noon  to-day,  197  miles. 

Thursday,  September  lyth.  — A strong  wind,  freshening 
to  a moderate  gale,  all  day.  We  ceased  steaming  at  1 1 a.m. 
At  noon  we  were  50  miles  off  Cape  Mordego,  having  run 
190  miles  since  noon  yesterday.  At  ij  p.m.  we  were  off 
the  rock  of  Lisbon.  The  swell  all  Jay  from  the  north- 
west was  very  heavy.  At  night  it  blew  so  hard  that  the 
jaws  of  the  main  boom  were  carried  away,  and  it  was  a 
terrible  business  securing  it  again.  It  swept  the  whole  of 
the  after-deck  with  the  greatest  violence,  describing  more 
than  a semicircle,  and  nobody  could  get  near  it  till  the 


DENIZENS  OF  THE  DEEP. 


7 


vessel’s  head  was  brought  to  the  wind.  Then  they  lowered 
the  sail,  and  ultimately  made  all  safe,  fortunately  without 
injury  to  life  or  limb,  though  the  standard  compass  was 
upset,  companion  smashed  in,  and  Tom’s  azimuth  carried 
overboard.  Several  whales  have  been  seen  at  different 
times,  one  blowing  up  so  close  to  the  yacht  as  to  produce 
the  appearance  of  an  escape  of  steam  from  the  engine-room. 
Shoals  of  porpoises  played  around  us  every  day.  The  water 


Cape  St.  Vincent 


has  been  full  of  jelly-fish  of  all  kinds,  each  beautiful  in  colour 
and  shape,  but  none  more  so  than  the  lovely  little  Portuguese 
men-of-war,  with  their  graceful  delicate  sails  set  to  the  breeze, 
sailing  before  the  wind.  At  night  the  sea  was  splendidly 
illuminated  with  minute  star-like  zoophytes,  making  the 
water  look  like  the  reflection  of  the  brilliantly  star-studded 
sky  above.  Everything  showed  how  much  we  had  changed 
our  latitude  since  starting  from  England. 

Friday , September  iStk. — The  morning  rose  with  a fresh 


8 


OFF  TANGIER . 


fair  breeze,  but  very  heavy  swell  from  north-west,  causing 
the  ‘ Sunbeam’  to  roll  deeply  for  some  hours  before  rounding 
Cape  St.  Vincent  at  noon.  We  signalled  our  number,  and 
after  passing  the  cape,  though  the  wind  freshened,  the  sea 
was  smooth,  and  we  had  a most  delightful  sail  along  the 
south  coast  of  Portugal.  In  the  evening  we  saw  the  light 
off  Cape  St.  Mary  ; and  we  had  a quiet  night,  which  was  a 
great  treat. 

Saturday , September  \gth. — The  morning  was  very  hot, 
with  a flat  calm  and  a heavy  swell.  Fires  were  lighted  and 
the  funnel  raised,  ready  to  steam  into  Tangier,  when  a vio- 
lent squall  of  wind  came  on  suddenly,  and  continued  for  some 
hours,  lashing  the  waves  into  foam,  and  raising  so  much 
sea  in  a short  time,  that  we  had  more  water  on  board  than 
we  wanted,  and  we  all  felt  far  more  uncomfortable  than 
during  the  whole  passage  thus  far  from  England.  We 
were  under  the  shelter  of  Cape  Spartel  about  1 1 a.m.,  and 
as  we  coasted  along  had  lovely  views,  especially  as  we 
rounded  the  last  point  and  made  Tangier,  resembling,  like 
most  Oriental  towns  seen  from  a distance,  a pearl  rising 
from  the  ocean.  Soon  after  noon  we  put  off  in  the  boat  to 
land  at  Tangier,  sending  the  yacht  out  to  sea  for  a few 
hours.  We  took  our  passports,  but  were  not  allowed  to 
land  for  want  of  the  bill  of  health,  which  Tom  had  unfortu- 
nately left  behind,  thinking  it  would  not  be  needed.  We 
sent  a message  to  the  consul  ; but  he  said  it  was  of  no  use. 
So  we  sent  a second  message,  and  after  some  delay  were 
told  we  might  land  in  half  an  hour.  In  the  meantime  Tom 
transferred  us  into  an  empty  boat  lying  at  anchor,  and 
went  off  in  the  gig  under  sail,  to  try  and  intercept  the 
yacht  and  procure  the  important  document.  This  he 


ARAB  HORSEMEN 


9 


succeeded  in  doing  just  as  all  the  consuls  and  vice-consuls 
of  every  nation  (whose  name  is  Legion  here)  had  consented 
to  allow  us  to  land. 

During  the  three  hours  we  were  bobbing  about  in  the 
broiling  sun,  we  had  been  amused  by  watching  Arabs 


Tangier 


riding  races  on  the  shore,  and  some  washing  their  horses, 
swimming  them  right  out  to  sea.  When  wet  themselves, 
their  shiny  black  and  brown  muscular  bodies  looked  like 
bronze  as  they  sat,  firm  as  rocks,  on  their  horses,  which 
plunged  and  snorted  with  fear  when  out  of  their  depth.  No 
matter  what  they  did,  their  riders  stuck  to  them  like  wax. 


IO 


SCENE  IN  THE  MARKET. 


Qn  landing  we  went  straight  to  the  Royal  Victoria 
Hotel,  kept  by  a black  steward  of  the  Duke  of  Edinburgh, 
who  had  married  a Scotch  cook.  It  is  very  comfortable  : 
good  cuisine  and  wine,  nice  clean  rooms  with  a lovely  view 
looking  north,  and  consequently  much  cooler  than  Gibraltar. 
We  were  greatly  pleased  with  the  picturesque  look  of  the 
town  and  the  people,  and  we  settled  to  spend  Sunday  here. 
After  lunch  we  went  for  a stroll  through  the  market,  which 
was  crowded  with  Arabs  in  their  white  haiks,  negroes  in 
their  striped  abbats,  Bedouins  in  their  burnous,  and  Moors 
and  Jews  in  their  bright-coloured  dresses  of  all  hues.  The 
women  were  even  more  gorgeously  draped  than  the  men. 
As  it  was  their  Sabbath,  they  were  all  in  their  best.  The 
faces  of  the  Jewesses  were  uncovered  ; the  Moorish  women 
were  muffled  up  to  the  eyes,  and  waddled  along  like  ani- 
mated bundles  of  dirty  clothes.  Outside  the  gate  were 
strings  of  camels  from  the  interior,  mules  and  horses  from 
neighbouring  villages,  with  more  wild  and  picturesque 
people  encamped  in  little  striped  tents  or  small  bamboo- 
covered  huts,  at  work  on  their  various  trades,  or  cooking 
their  frugal  meal  at  the  door/  Large  families  of  children, 
babies  and  all,  in  spite  of  the  intense  heat,  were  packed  as 
close  inside  their  tents  here,  at  the  very  edge  of  the  Great 
Desert,  as  we  had  found  the  Lapps,  almost  on  the  verge  of 
the  eternal  snows,  when  we  saw  them  not  two  months  ago. 
This  similarity  of  habit  between  two  very  different  peoples, 
one  living  under  a broiling  sun  the  year  through,  the  other 
existing  with  hardly  any  sun  at  all,  is  certainly  curious  and 
interesting.  There  were  snake-charmers  fascinating  the 
slimy  reptiles  before  the  gaze  of  an  admiring  circle  ; story- 
tellers telling  and  acting  their  romances  to  a crowd  lolling 


CAFE  A LA  TURQUE. 


ir 


about  on  rocks  and  stones  at  the  side  of  the  hill,  extempo- 
rising a sort  of  theatre  to  listen  to  the  Arab  improvviscitore . 
At  the  table  d'hote  we  found  a great  influx  of  visitors,  arrived 
by  steamer  from  Gibraltar  to  spend  Sunday. 

On  our  way  to  the  boa*  .ter  dinner,  we  stopped  at  a 
very  small  Moorish  cafe  lighted  by  two  little  wicks  floating 
in  oil  held  in  two  tumblers,  suspended  by  long  chains  from 


Bargaining  in  the  Bazaar 


the  low  ceiling  till  they  were  almost  level  with  the  floor. 
Here  we  all  crouched  down  on  our  heels  and  partook  of 
cafe  a la  turqne — a large  tea-spoonful  of  coffee,  another  of 
sugar,  put  into  a small  cup  and  boiling  water  poured  on  it, 
making  it  thick  and  sweet,  but  very  high-flavoured  and  good. 
It  was  a curious,  weird  scene.  Half  a dozen  men  were  playing 
cards  in  one  corner,  a man  thrumming  a sort  of  mandolin 
in  another,  and  our  guide  trying  to  make  music  out  of  a 


12 


SPANISH  MAN-OF-WAR. 


large  key,  a pair  of  snuffers,  and  a knife,  all  produced  from 
his  pocket,  which,  rapped  in  a monotonous  manner,  formed 
an  accompaniment  to  a still  more  monotonous  song.  The 
row  off  in  the  moonlight  was  lovely,  and  the  sea-breeze 
most  refreshing  after  the  stuffy  town. 

Sunday , September  20th. — We  went  ashore  quite  early, 
this  being  market-day,  to  see  much  the  same  sights  as 
yesterday,  only  more  of  them,  and  more  crowd.  Tom  read 
service  at  11.30  a.m.  We  had  a visit  from  the  captain  of 
the  Spanish  man-of-war,  ‘ Nave  de  Tolosa,’  which  has  now 
been  lying  in  the  bay  more  than  two  months  since  the  time 
when,  in  common  with  many  ships  of  other  nations,  she 
was  sent  to  assist  in  quelling  the  disturbances  among  the 
Khabyles.  She  has  remained  ever  since,  the  officers  and 
crew  stopping  their  full  pay  from  the  Moorish  war  in- 
demnity, as  it  passes  through  their  hands  towards  Spain, 
while  most  of  the  other  ships  of  their  country  get  nothing 
in  the  present  disturbed  state  of  affairs ; so  they  are  wise 
to  stay  where  they  are,  dull  as  they  say  they  find  the  place. 
We  asked  the  captain  how  the  war  was  going  on,  but  he 
did  not  know  anything  about  it,  and  seemed  to  care  less. 

After  lunch  we  went  on  shore  to  the  Caasba  at  the  top 
of  the  city,  from  which  we  had  a charming  view  over  the 
whole  place,  which,  like  most  African  cities,  is  built  of  mud, 
either  just  plastered  up  with  straw  or  made  into  bricks,  for 
the  most  part  whitewashed,  but  sometimes  painted  red  and 
yellow,  or  occasionally  left  to  their  original  colour.  The 
mosques  are  the  same,  but  the  minarets  are  of  green,  red, 
and  yellow  tiles,  with  generally  a palm-tree  growing  near, 
giving  a most  beautiful  effect.  After  dinner  a Moorish 
wedding  procession  passed  at  the  end  of  the  street.  We 


A MOORISH  WEDDING . 


3 


pursued  it  through  the  narrow  pathways  all  over  the  town, 
guided  by  the  firing  of  guns  and  the  anything  but  sweet 
sounds  of  the  musical  instruments  that  accompanied  it. 
Ultimately  we  reached  the  bride’s  house,  and  saw  her  in  a 
square  box  (covered  with  muslin  and  decorated  with  coloured 
tassels)  let  down  from  the  roof  and  put  on  the  back  of  a 
mule.  The  ‘cumbersome  structure  took  four  men  all  their 


Moorish  Musician. 


time  to  hold  it,  and  even  then  it  went  shaking  and  wobbling 
about  in  a way  eminently  calculated  to  make  the  unfortu- 
nate bride  miserably  ill  before  she  reached  the  end  of  her 
journey  ; for  though  her  husband’s  house  was  not  very  far 
off,  they  took  her  all  round  the  town,  and  up  and  down  all 
the  streets.  We  followed  the  procession  some  little  way ; 
but  the  music  was  very  monotonous,  the  constant  firing  of 
guns  in  one’s  ears  unpleasant,  and  the  accompanying  crowd 


14 


THE  CHILDREN’S  DEPARTURE. 


odoriferous,  though  most  picturesque  in  the  bright  moon- 
light. So  we  wended  our  way  to  the  gates,  which,  after 
some  little  delay  and  fuss,  were  opened  for  us.  A crowd 
accompanied  us  to  the  beach,  and  we  had  another  delight- 
ful moonlight  row. 

Monday , September  21st. — We  started  for  Gibraltar  at 
1 1 a.m.,  and  arrived  about  2.30  p.m.,  after  a pleasant 
sail  through  the  splendid  Straits  under  our  square  sail 
and  studding-sail  only.  Captain  McCrae  sent  out  a boat 
to  take  us  to  a sheltered  berth  inside  the  New  Mole, 
and  we  had  scarcely  dropped  our  anchor  before  some 
naval  friends  came  on  board.  Then  another  old  friend 
arrived,  who  brought  the  unpleasant  news  that  the  English 
homeward-bound  mail  was  due  this  evening,  instead  of  not 
till  Wednesday,  as  we  expected.  So  we  had  a great  bustle 
to  get  the  children’s  things  ready.  It  was  indeed  a terrible 
disappointment  to  us  all,  this  sudden  parting,  and  if  the 
children  had  only  asked,  I do  not  think  I could  have  had 
the  heart  to  refuse  them  another  week.  But  I am  now 
very  glad  that  they  did  not,  as  it  was  much  better  they 
should  go  home.  We  landed  about  5 p.m.,  went  up  to  the 
Signal  Station  on  donkeys,  an  expedition  which  was  much 
enjoyed,  and  dined  at  the  Club-House  Hotel.  We  had  o.nly 
just  time  to  take  the  children  to  the  yacht  again,  pack  up 
some  things,  and  go  on  board  the  ‘ Khedive.’  There  were 
only  forty  first-class  and  forty  second-class  passengers  on 
board.  The  children,  and  Fisher,  their  maid,  had  two  fine 
large  berths  to  themselves.  We  none  of  us  liked  saying 
good-bye,  but  at  last  we  thought  it  was  all  over,  the  parting 
bell  had  rung,  and  we  were  slowly  and  sadly  descending 
the  companion  ladder.  Suddenly  two  little  heads  and  four 


OUT  OF  SIGHT. 


15 


little  arms  appeared  through  the  portholes,  waving  a last 
farewell,  and  ‘ Good-bye,  papa  ! good-bye,  mamma  ! ’ came 
sobbingly  from  the  lips  of  Tab  and  Mabelle.  Captain 
Andoe,  who  has  just  completed  his  term  of  service  in  the 
* Invincible/  was  on  board.  He  was  rowed  alongside  by 
a crew  of  officers,  and  it  was  very  inspiring,  though  rather 
melancholy,  to  hear  their  cheering  as  the  £ Khedive  ’ moved 
slowly  off,  the  bands  on  the  other  ships  playing  ‘ Should 
auld  acquaintance  be  forgot  ? ’ ‘ Home,  sweet  home/  ‘ Cheer, 
boys,  cheer/  &c.  It  was  altogether  a sad  moment ; but, 
like  other  disagreeable  things  which  have  to  be  done,  it 
was  perhaps  better  to  get  it  over  quickly,  without  much 
time  to  think  about  it.  When  the  ship’s  lights  disappeared 
round  the  rock  beyond  Algeciras,  it  made  us  feel  how  com- 
pletely our  little  ones  were  separated  from  us,  for  a time  at 
all  events. 

I never  spoke  the  word  farewell 
But  with  an  utterance  faint  and  broken, 

A heart-sick  yearning  for  the  time 
When  it  should  never  more  be  spoken. 


CHAPTER  II. 


TETUAN,  CEUTA,  AND  SICILY. 

The  weary  Arabs  roam  from  plain  to  plain. 

Guiding  the  languid  herd  in  quest  of  food  ; 

And  shift  their  little  homes'  uncertain  scene 
With  frequent  farewell : strangers,  pilgrims  all, 

As  were  their  fathers. 

Gibraltar , Tuesday , September  22 nd,  1874. — We  were  in  a 
great  mess,  scraping  masts  and  coaling,  with  hulks  along- 
side, when  all  the  captains  of  the  fleet  arrived  to  visit  us, 
one  after  another.  Such  a procession  of  gigs  you  never  saw. 
They  expressed  themselves  much  pleased  with  the  yacht, 
in  spite  of  the  state  of  dirt  and  confusion  we  were  in.  After 
taking  lunch,  and  witnessing  a review  of  the  marines,  we 
went  on  board  the  4 Swiftsure,’  I think  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  ships  of  this  fleet. 

Wednesday , September  23  rd. — We  left  the  yacht  at 
10.30  a.m.,  and  started  at  1 1 in  the  Messageries  Nationales 
(late  Imperiales)  boat  ‘ Africaine  * for  Tangier.  It  was  a 
glorious  day ; but  the  vessel,  being  very  light  in  ballast, 
rolled  a good  deal,  and  lunch  had  to  be  eaten  under  con- 
siderable difficulty,  with  an  accompaniment  of  disagreeable 
sights  and  sounds.  We  reached  Tangier  about  4 p.m., 
photographed,  and  strolled  about  till  dinner,  and  afterwards 
had  coffee  on  the  roof  of  our  hotel.  The  view  was  lovely 
— east  over  the  bay  to  the  Atlas  Mountains,  and  west  over 
the  quaint  old  town  with  its  picturesque  battlements. 


OUR  ENCAMPMENT, 


1 7 


Thursday , September  24 th. — We  were  called  at  4.30  a.m., 
and  started  soon  after  6 a.m.  I rode  ‘ A1  Tail,’  a beauti- 
ful thoroughbred  Barb,  charming  in  his  paces  and  in  every 
other  respect  except  his  fighting  propensities,  which  com- 
pelled me  to  keep  a respectful  distance  from  everybody  else. 
The  road,  or  rather  track,  ran  through  a pretty  undulating 
country,  with  hills  covered  by  aloes,  myrtles,  wild  olives, 
palmettos,  and  gum  cistus  ; while  on  the  plains  we  saw 
the  stubble  of  Indian  corn,  millet,  wheat,  barley,  and  maize. 
We  met  crowds  of  Arabs,  with  women  and  children,  camels, 
horses,  ponies,  mules,  and  donkeys,  going  into  market, 
Thursday  being  almost  as  great  a market  day  as  Sunday. 
A great  many  large  hawks  were  soaring  overhead,  and  in 
one  place  at  least  a dozen  were  gathered  together  over 
the  carcass  of  a sheep.  After  sundry  delays  we  reached 
the  encampment  about  12.30  p.m.,  all  very  tired,  and 
thankful  to  throw  ourselves  down  in  the  shade,  to  pant 
and  drink  sherbet.  Evie  and  I rested  all  the  afternoon, 
whilst  the  gentlemen  went  out  shooting,  returning  with  a 
fair  bag.  The  sunset  and  moonrise  were  lovely,  and  a 
blazing  tree  in  the  foreground  accidentally  set  on  fire  by 
some  Arabs  added  to  the  picturesque  beauty  of  the  scene. 
A most  excellent  French  cook  has  been  secured  for  the 
camp,  so  at  7 p.m.  we  sat  down  to  a dinner  that  would  have 
done  no  discredit  to  the  most  civilised  cuisine  in  London  or 
Paris.  Nothing  could  exceed  the  comfort  of  our  encamp- 
ment, consisting  of  five  tents,  each  well  furnished,  besides  a 
dining  tent,  where  eight  could  dine  with  ease.  The  gentle- 
men were  put  up  in  pairs,  and  Evie,  I,  and  a Spanish  maid 
(provided  especially  for  our  comfort)  occupied  another  tent, 
while  the  French  cook  had  the  cooking  tent  to  himself. 


i8 


TETUAN ; 


During  the  night  it  became  very  cold,  and  early  in  the 
morning  a little  rain  fell,  which  made  the  temperature 
much  pleasanter  than  yesterday. 

Friday , September  25  th. — The  gentlemen  went  out 
shooting  early,  returning  about  8 a.m.  with  nine  brace  of 
partridges,  some  hawks,  rabbits,  &c.  At  10.30  a.m.  we 
started  for  Tetuan.  At  first  the  road  was  not  only  very 
stony,  but  up  and  down  hill.  After  riding  four  hours,  we 
halted  under  the  shade  of  a couple  of  large  wild  olive 
trees,  on  the  banks  of  a stream  fringed  with  oleanders  in 
full  bloom.  Another  three  hours’  ride  brought  us  into 
Tetuan,  a walled  city,  standing  on  a height  commanding 
views  of  the  lower  range  of  the  Atlas  Mountains.  The 
last  few  miles  took  us  through  lovely  gardens,  irrigated 
with  tiny  streams,  each  stream  with  a luxuriant  line  of 
maidenhair  fern  hanging  over  it,  and  the  land  producing 
its  second  crop  of  Indian  corn,  millet,  wheat,  melons, 
mulberries,  figs,  pomegranates,  oranges,  apples,  or  prickly 
pears,  in  the  most  abundant  profusion.  On  the  sides  of 
the  mountain  the  fields  looked  quite  green  and  English, 
making  a strong  contrast  to  the  burnt  arid  desert  we  had 
been  passing  through.  It  was  almost  dark  when  we  reached 
the  town,  and  pursued  our  way  through  the  dirty  tortuous 
streets,  across  the  market-place,  through  several  gates,  until 
we  reached  the  Jewish  quarter  (where  the  inhabitants  are 
always  locked  up  for  the  night),  and  found  our  inn.  Such 
a funny  little  place  ! We  had  to  bend  almost  double  to  pass 
beneath  the  entrance  door.  A narrow  passage  led  us  to  the 
courtyard,  open  to  the  air,  with  a grating  over  it.  Some 
very  steep  tiled  steps  took  us  to  the  first  floor,  where  we 
found  the  dining-room,  which  had  two  beds  in  it,  and  two 


AN  AFRICAN  MEET. 


l9 


bedrooms  opening  on  to  the  gallery.  They  all  had  the 
tiniest  windows  at  one  end,  and  were  lighted  by  large 
folding  doors  giving  access  to  the  gallery,  which  naturally 
rendered  them  anything  but  private.  Above,  there  were 
rooms  not  so  pretentious,  but  more  airy,  opening  on  to  the 
house-top.  At  dinner  we  were  joined  by  some  officers  who 
had  been  unable  to  get  their  leave  on  Wednesday  morning, 
and  had  started  at  night  in  a felucca,  only  to  be  becalmed, 
spend  two  days  and  a night  on  the  road,  and  finally  land 
at  the  mouth  of  the  river  and  walk  seven  miles  over  the 
sand. 

Saturday , September  26th. — It  rained  heavily  during  the 
night,  but  we  were  on  horseback  by  6 a.m.,  all  in  a state  of 
wild  excitement  about  the  boar-hunt.  We  rode  through 
gardens  like  those  we  saw  yesterday  for  about  two  hours, 
till  we  arrived  at  the  meet.  The  scene  was  singularly  pic- 
turesque. On  a little  hill  near  an  Arab  village,  about  a 
dozen  Arabs,  in  long  burnous,  with  bright-coloured  turbans 
and  long  silver-  and  brass-bound  guns,  were  seated  on  the 
ground,  eating  prickly  pears,  whose  inner  skins  lay  in  a 
purple,  scarlet,  and  orange  heap  in  front  of  them,  making  a 
lovely  bit  of  colour  in  the  foreground.  A little  farther  off 
stood  a group  of  men,  holding  in  leash  a dozen  boar-hounds 
of  all  shapes,  sizes,  and  colours ; and  again  on  the  right 
another  dozen  men  looking  on,  whilst  the  dead  body  of  a 
shot  fox  lay  at  their  feet.  The  country  was  undulating, 
and  the  view  extended  over  sea,  mountain,  and  plain. 
After  another  quarter  of  an  hour’s  ride  we  dismounted, 
and  were  put  in  position,  while  the  Arabs  and  dogs  went 
round  to  draw.  It  was  very  hot,  and  as  an  hour  and  a half 
passed  by  without  an  incident,  I think  almost  everybody 


20 


WILD  LOADS. 


fell  asleep.  About  io  a.m.  the  first  beater  came  over  the 
crest  of  the  hill.  Others  soon  joined  him,  making  a great 
noise  and  hullabaloo  ; dogs  barked,  and  there  was  great 
excitement  Presently  we  saw  a large  wild  boar  stealing 
up  the  ravine  near  us.  Several  shots  were  fired  at  him, 
but  the  brushwood  was  thick,  and  he  escaped.  Then  came 
a tiny  boar,  which  nobody  took  the  trouble  to  fire  at. 
Then  came  an  enormous  creature,  at  whom  everybody 
fired,  but  whom  nobody  hit.  This  went  on  for  about 
another  hour  and  a half.  Ten  pigs  were  seen,  but  only 
one  was  killed,  and  two  jackals.  Then  came  breakfast, 
a most  welcome  meal  after  our  early  start  and  weary 
wait  in  the  sun  ; for  in  this  sport,  as  in  deer-driving,  no 
one  may  move  or  speak.  After  a hurried  meal,  Evie  and 
I returned  home  to  rest,  while  the  gentlemen  went  on 
shooting.  They  had  a long  walk,  saw  more  boars,  but 
did  not  shoot  any,  and  could  not  fire  at  the  small  game, 
their  guns  being  loaded  with  bullets.  Shooting  in  Morocco 
is  rather  a dangerous  amusement  on  the  whole,  the  Moors 
being  so  very  casual  with  their  guns.  An  English  sportsman 
had  been  shot  dead  in  the  last  expedition,  a fact  which 
forced  itself  unpleasantly  on  our  minds  when  we  heard 
a bullet  whistle  over  our  heads.  Then,  too,  if  you  wound 
a boar  and  do  not  kill  him,  he  is  pretty  certain  to  rush  out 
of  the  brushwood  and  rip  your  leg  up  with  his  tusks. 

Evie  and  I had  a delightful  ride  home,  but  we  were  so 
tired  that  we  were  glad  to  rest  all  the  afternoon,  so  we  did 
not  see  much  of  the  town.  After  dinner  we  had  a very 
pleasant  chat  on  the  house-top.  Finding  it  impossible  to 
return  to  Gibraltar  in  time  by  Tangier,  we  determined* 
to  ride  to  Ceuta  on  the  next  day,  and  take  the  boat  to 


FEAST  OF  TABERNACLES. 


21 


Algeciras  and  Gibraltar,  so  as  to  be  back  on  Monday,  as 
arranged.  This  being  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles,  there  were 
curious  little  tents  or  booths  of  green  branches  in  the  streets 
and  on  the  house-tops  of  the  Jewish  quarter,  and  none  of 
the  Jews  could  touch  a lamp  after  sundown,  which  was 
very  inconvenient.  A hanging  lamp  in  our  room  was 
most  quaint : an  enormous  tumbler,  surrounded  by  nine- 
teen smaller  ones,  all  held  up  by  charms  against  the  evil 
eye.  I made  a bid  for  it,  but  as  it  was  a feast  the  owner 
could  not  transact  any 
business,  but  promised 
to  write  and  let  me 
know  as  soon  as  the 
feast  was  over.1  They 
brought  us  the  hotel 
book,  to  write  our 
names  in.  It  began  in 
1838,  and  contained 
only  four  or  five  Eng- 
lish names  in  it  each 
year,  and  six  ladies’ 
names  during  the  whole 
period. 

Sunday , Septembei r 2jth. — All  the  officers  remained 
behind  for  a shooting  expedition,  but  came  to  their  tent 
doors  to  see  us  off  when  we  left  at  6 a.m.  The  first  part 
of  our  road  was  much  the  same  as  yesterday.  In  two 
hours  we  had  our  first  view  of  the  sea — blue  as  ultra- 


Woman  of  Tetua.n 


1 1879. — I have  never  heard  from  the  man  himself,  but  have  been  in- 
formed by  friends  who  have  visited  Tetuan  that  he  always  points  it  out  as 
Mrs.  Brassey’s  lamp.  I wish  he  would  send  it  to  me. 


22 


A LOVELY  RIDE . 


marine,  breaking  on  the  shore  of  snow-white  sand — from 
the  top  of  a small  hill.  About  10.30  a.m.  we  stopped 
under  the  shade  of  some  tamarisks,  by  the  sea-shore,  for 
breakfast,  and  when  we  started  again  at  noon  the  heat 
was  intense.  At  2 p.m.  we  were  obliged  to  dismount  again 
and  rest  for  a few  minutes  under  the  shadow  of  a rock. 
The  road  was  most  lovely  ; now  along  the  beach  composed 
of  the  whitest  sands  and  shells,  with  a few  larger  ones 
sprinkled  about,  then  along  a path  cut  through  the  cliffs 
overhanging  the  sea,  into  whose  blue  depths  you  seemed 
to  penetrate  for  miles,  all  the  coralines,  sponges,  and 
waving  seaweeds,  and  zoophytes  being  clearly  visible  at 
the  bottom.  A little  farther  off  were  hills  with  beautiful 
shrubberies,  occasional  large  mulberry  trees,  and  groves  of 
myrtles  in  full  bloom,  under  whose  lowest  branches  you  can 
ride  without  bending  your  head.  Descending  to  lower 
ground,  we  rode  along  the  shores  of  a lake  literally  teeming 
with  rare  wild  fowl  and  fish  of  every  description.  If  it  had 
' not  been  so  hot,  and  if  we  could  have  allowed  ourselves  three 
days,  and  encamped  every  night,  so  as  to  have  ridden  only 
in  the  early  morning  and  late  evening,  it  would  have  been 
too  delightful. 

About  4 p.m.  we  reached  the  outposts  of  Ceuta,  where 
our  Moorish  soldier  had  to  give  up  his  arms.  He  would 
reclaim  them  when  he  went  back  to  the  desert.  We 
entered  the  city  through  gates,  along  ramparts,  over  draw- 
bridges, and  through  fortifications  of  the  strongest  descrip- 
tion. At  last  we  reached  the  fonda  ; but  it  was  full  of 
soldiers,  and  the  landlord  had  no  rooms,  much  less  beds. 
He  gave  us  something  to  eat,  and  afterwards  we  strolled 
round  the  town,  pursued  by  a crowd  of  small  boys.  The 


CEUTA. 


23 


town  is  curiously  like  Gibraltar  in  shape  and  situation. 
The  fortress  is  on  a high  rock  communicating  by  a low 
spit  of  sandy  shore  with  the  mainland  ; but  as  the  town 
is  on  the  low  ground  at  the  foot  of  the  rock,  the  in- 
habitants would  have  a very  bad  time  of  it  in  case  of  siege. 
The  high  ground  on  the  mainland,  too,  commands  the  rock, 
so  that  altogether  it  could  never  be  made  so  strong  a place 
as  Gibraltar.  It  swarms  with  soldiers.  Not  a creature 
spoke  anything  but  Spanish,  and  as  I had  forgotten  nearly 
all  I used  to  know,  it  was  with  some  difficulty  we  procured 
what  we  wanted  and  settled  with  our  Arabs.  We  managed 
to  get  some  dinner  with  the  soldiers,  and  at  last  found  a 
little  man  who  spoke  about  twenty  words  of  English  and 
as  many  of  French,  and  as  he  knew  the  hotel  people,  he 
persuaded  them  to  procure  us  a sitting-room  at  a friend’s 
house  in  which  to  pass  the  night.  There  we  got  through  the 
dark  hours  as  best  we  could,  much  eaten  of  mosquitoes  and 
much  disturbed  by  people  running  through  our  apartment, 
which  was,  after  all,  rather  a passage  than  a sitting-room. 

Monday , September  28 th. — At  5 a.m.  we  roused  ourselves^ 
changed  our  riding  habits  for  ordinary  dresses,  tried  but 
failed  to  procure  even  a little  coffee,  and  after  great  difficulty 
persuaded  some  people  to  carry  our  luggage  to  the  quay 
Our  polite  little  friend  of  last  night  turned  up — Senor  Luis 
Tareno  y Rodriguez,  Secretary  to  the  Convict  Establishment 
at  the  lies  Chafarrines,  on  a month’s  leave  with  his  brother 
Senor  Antonio  Paus,  Receveur  des  Douanes — and  at  the  last 
moment  the  Arabs  arrived  with  our  saddles,  boar-skins, 
&c.  The  steamer  ‘ Dos  Hermanos  ’ did  not  start  till  8 a.m. 
instead  of  at  6.30  A.M.,  so  we  need  not  have  been  in  such 
a hurry.  Nothing  was  provided  to  eat  on  board,  and  after 


M 


LARGE  SEA  ANEMONES. 


a rough  and  rolling  passage  we  reached  Algeciras  about 
io  a.m.  Without  landing  we  got  into  a small  boat,  and, 
sailing  and  rowing,  reached  the  yacht  soon  after  noon  ; 
and  you  may  imagine  how  delightful  her  cleanliness  and 
comfort  seemed  after  our  recent  experiences.  Munie  was 
delighted  to  see  us  again,  and  as  the  felucca  came  alongside 
she  kept  shrieking  over  the  bulwarks,  ‘ So  glad  to  see  you 
back  again  ! oh,  so  glad ! ’ . 

Tuesday , September  2g th,  was  another  hot  morning, 
with  a cool  breeze  from  the  west.  We  went  to  bathe  at 
the  ladies’  bathing-place,  a most  luxuriously  arranged  es- 
tablishment, where  you  can  bathe  either  out  at  sea  or 
under  cover.  Anything  so  lovely  as  the  sea  anemones 
along  the  edges  of  the  rock  I never  saw,  particularly  one 
as  large  as  the  palm  of  one’s  hand,  waving  its  beautiful 
green  feelers  with  exquisite  mauve  tips  in  every  direction 
in  search  of  its  prey.  His  Excellency  the  Governor,  our 
old  friend  Sir  Fenwick  Williams,  arrived  this  morning  at 
daybreak  in  the  P.  & O.  steamer  ‘ Australia  ’ from  England, 
but  did  not  land  till  3 a.m.  at  the  Ragged  Staff,  where 
he  was  received  with  all  the  usual  honours  ; so,  while  bath- 
ing, we  had  the  benefit  of  many  guns  and  much  music.  As 
some  friends  came  on  board  to  breakfast,  it  was  late  before 
we  landed  again  for  our  expedition  to  the  galleries,  which 
are  the  great  feature  of  the  Rock.  But  I have  been  round 
them  so  many  times,  and  have  described  them  so  often, 
that  I will  not  say  another  word  about  them.  Having 
gone  through  all  the  upper  galleries  and  St.  George’s  Hall, 
and  admired  the  lovely  views  seen  through  the  embrasures, 
each  like  a picture  in  its  dark  frame — a bright  bit  of  sun- 
light, blue  sky  and  sea,  with  distant  country  views,  or  the 


GIBRALTAR. 


25 


little  boats  dancing  at  anchor  or  shooting  across  the  harbour 
— we  returned  to  our  car,  and  went  through  the  dirty, 
crowded  Waterport,  to  the  market,  which  was  full  of 
people,  the  stalls  covered  with  meat,  fresh  fish,  fruit,  and 
vegetables.  Passing  out  at  the  gates,  over  the  moat,  we 
emerged  on  a sandy  plain,  and,  traversing  the  English 
lines,  crossed  the  neutral  ground  to  the  Spanish  lines, 
where,  after  a cursory  examination,  we  were  allowed  to 


Gibraltar. 


enter  the  village  of  Campimento.  Here  we  tacked  on 
a leader  to  drag  us  through  the  heavy  sand,  and  had  a 
delicious  drive  round  the  bay,  just  at  the  edge  of  the 
waves,  till  we  turned  off  from  the  sea  on  the  high  road 
to  Campo.  This  part  was  not  so  pleasant,  for  it  was  hot 
and  dusty,  and  the  road  bad,  and  we  were  bumped  and 
jolted  about  considerably.  We  soon  reached  the  friendly 
house  whither  we  were  bound,  a large,  square,  comfortable 


26 


OFF  ALGIERS. 


building,  deliciously  cool,  and  standing  in  a nice  garden  of 
its  own,  with  hedges  of  plumbago  and  scarlet  geranium, 
myrtle  and  rosemary.  After  passing  several  pleasant  hours 
we  were  obliged  to  say  good-bye  at  4 p.m.,  to  be  back  in  time 
to  receive  Sir  Fenwick  Williams  and  his  aides-de-camp  on 
board  to  tea.  Having  dined  at  the  Club-House,  we  made 
another  attempt  at  the  Circus,  but  there  seemed  a fate 
against  us.  This  time  it  was  shut  because  it  was  Tuesday. 

Wednesday , September  30 t/i. — Fires  had  been  lighted 
before  daybreak,  and,  while  waiting  for  the  steward  with 
the  fresh  milk  and  provisions,  we  tried  some  steam  ma- 
noeuvres, then  signalled  our  last  adieux  to  the  ‘ Helicon,’ 
and  steamed  from  under  the  shadow  of  the  Rock,  and  out 
of  the  glassy  bay,  exactly  at  8.30  a.m.  Outside  Europa 
Point  a nice  breeze  sprang  up  from  the  westward,  and  we 
set  all  our  running  canvas,  and  proceeded  at  the  rate  of 
eight  knots,  soon  increasing  to  ten. 

Thursday , October  1 st. — At  noon  we  had  run  250  miles 
from  Gibraltar.  Latitude  36°  39'  N.,  longitude  o°  30'  W. 
The  wind  increased  to  a moderate  gale,  with  a heavy  swell 
from  the  north-west,  which  rolled  and  tumbled  us  about 
most  terribly,  and  prevented  any  of  us  sleeping  at  night. 
About  8 p.m.  we  made  the  light  on  Cape  Tenez. 

Friday , October  2nd. — At  daybreak  we  were  off  Algiers, 
near  enough  to  see  the  houses  in  the  town  and  environs 
plainly.  By  noon  we  had  run  206  miles  since  the  correspond- 
ing hour  yesterday.  Latitude  370  16'  N.,  longitude  30  48'  E. 

The  breeze  continued  as  before,  the  swell  increasing  till 
we  rolled  so  much  that  it  was  almost  impossible  to  sit, 
stand,  or  lie  down.  Our  chairs  were  lashed,  and  everything 
made  as  snug  as  could  be  under  the  circumstances. 


NORTH  COAST  OF  SICILY. 


2 7 


Saturday , October  3 rd. — The  north  coast  of  Africa  was 
in  sight  the  whole  day.  We  saw  turtles  floating  on  the  sea 
and  basking  in  the  sun,  and  some  flying-fish  came  on  board. 
Distance  at  noon,  1 37  miles.  Latitude  370  40'  W.,  longitude 
6°  38'  E.  The  wind  continued  to  blow  with  considerable 
force  from  the  westward,  accompanied  by  a heavy  side  swell 
from  the  Gulf  of  Lyons. 

Sunday , October  4th. — Rounded  the  island  of  Galita,  at 
a distance  of  thirty  miles,  during  the  night.  At  noon  the 
distance  run  was  198  miles,  and  we  were  twenty  miles  north 
of  the  Graham  Shoals,  and  about  seventy  miles  south  of  the 
island  of  Sardinia.  The  breeze  was  still  fresh  and  fair, 
but  the  sea  more  moderate. 

Monday , October  $th. — The  breeze  failing,  we  steamed 
ahead  at  1.30  a.m.  At  daybreak  we  made  the  high 
mountains  in  the  interior  of  Sicily,  and  shortly  after- 
wards the  islands  of  Sevanza  and  Maritimo,  steered 
past  Mount  St.  Julian  towards  Cape  St.  Vito,  which  we 
passed  at  a distance  of  three  miles,  and  then  crossed  the 
Bay  of  Castellamare  to  Cape  di  Gallo.  The  scenery  all 
along  the  coast  was  superb  ; splendid  rocks  and  precipices, 
interspersed  with  sunny  slopes  and  rich  fertile  plains,  teem- 
ing with  every  kind  of  grain  and  fruit,  now  in  rich  luxuri- 
ance. About  1 1 a.m.  we  reached  the  bay  of  Palermo,  and 
by  noon  were  moored  inside  the  Mole.  Distance,  17 1 miles. 
Latitude  38°  8'  N.,  longitude  130  15'  E. 

The  yacht  was  scarcely  inside  the  Mole  before  we  were 
surrounded  by  boats,  whose  proprietors  were  anxious  to 
sell  their  various  wares  : coral,  shell-boxes,  canary  birds, 
marble  table-tops — wonderfully  pretty  and  wonderfully 
cheap — hideous  animals,  and  mermaids  with  long  tails 


28 


MONREALE. 


made  of  shells,  piled-up  baskets  of  most  delicious  grapes, 
figs,  melons,  pomegranates,  prickly  pears,  and  pears  without 
prickles.  We  landed  on  the  Marina,  and  walked  straight 
to  the  comfortable  Hotel  Trinacria,  where  the  landlord 
received  us  with  exactly  the  same  irreproachable  manner 
displayed  twelve  years  ago,  when  we  were  here  in  the 
‘ Albatross.’  Early  in  the  afternoon  we  started  for  Mon- 
reale, through  the  clean  straight  streets,  full  of  excellent 
shops,  then  along  a hot,  dusty  road,  up  a steep  hill  com- 
manding beautiful  views  of  the  town  and  the  conca  d'oro 
(golden  shell)  in  which  it  is  situated.  Every  ten  or  twenty 
yards  there  were  sentries,  and  at  intervals  of  every  mile 
guard-houses,  or  rather  huts,  with  four  or  five  soldiers  in 
each,  as  a protection  against  the  brigands,  who  have  been 
very  troublesome  lately.  All  the  way  up  the  sides  of  the 
mountains  were  gardens,  vines,  oranges,  prickly  pears,  pink 
oleanders,  and  purple  ipomceas. 

At  the  summit  stands  the  town  of  Monreale,  with  its 
cathedral  and  monastery.  The  latter  is  now  used  for 
barracks  ; but  the  views  from  it,  especially  from  the  terrace 
in  the  garden,  are  very  fine,  looking  over  the  entire  city  and 
the  luxuriant  plain  in  which  it  is  situated.  The  cathedral 
itself  is  splendid  and  almost  unique,  lined  with  splendid 
mosaics  on  a gold  ground,  representing  the  whole  history 
of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments.  Its  architecture  is  a 
mixture  of  Norman,  Byzantine,  and  Gothic.  The  drive  back 
in  the  cool  of  the  evening  was  quite  delightful,  though  we 
could  not  stay  out  as  long  as  we  should  have  liked,  having 
stupidly  arranged  to  dine  at  the  5.30  table  cThote^n  insane 
hour  for  dinner  in  this  climate  at  this  time  of  year,  wasting 
as  it  does  the  short  but  most  delicious  sunset  and  twilight 


ST.  ROSALIE. 


29 


hour.  Afterwards  we  lounged  about  the  Marina,  enjoying 
the  delicious  sea-breeze,  and  had  a delightful  row  on  board. 

Tuesday , October  6th. — We  went  ashore  about  1 1 a.m. 
landing  at  the  Mole,  and  driving  first  to  the  cathedral,  and 
then  to  the  Capella  Reale,  attached  to,  and  in  fact  forming 
part  of,  the  king’s  palace.  It  is  an  exact  contrast  to  the 
large,  light,  airy,  spacious,  lofty  cathedral,  being  very  small, 
but  perfectly  encrusted  with  the  richest  mosaics  on  a gold 
ground,  representing  the  history  of  the  Old  and  New  Tes- 
taments, something  like  Monreale,  the  columns  being  richly 
covered  and  inlaid.  The  floor  is  tesselated  with  gold  and 
coloured  marbles,  the  roof  of  carved  wood,  painted  in  grand 
designs,  not  a pin’s  point  being  left  that  is  not  covered  with 
the  richest  decoration.  The  windows  being  small,  and  of 
coloured  glass,  made  it  look  gloomy;  but  with  brilliant 
sunlight,  and  full  of  priests  in  gala  robes,  it  must  be 
indeed  a gorgeous  sight.  The  apartments  in  the  palace  are 
numerous  and  lofty,  and  all  the  windows  command  splendid 
views  in  different  directions  over  land  and  sea. 

In  the  afternoon  we  drove  to  the  base  of  the  Monte  Pel- 
legrino, all  through  the  older  part  of  the  city,  and  by  the 
Mole.  At  the  end  of  the  road  we  left  the  carriage,  mounted 
our  donkeys,  and  started  up  the  very  steepest  zigzag  path, 
built  on  arches  over  a torrent,  some  hundred  years  ago, 
at  an  enormous  expense,  for  the  convenience  of  pilgrims 
to  the  shrine  of  St.  Rosalie,  whose  bones  were  supposed  to 
have  delivered  the  city  of  Palermo  from  plague.  The  then 
archbishop  told  the  people  their  souls  would  be  saved  if 
they  made  the  road,  and  it  was  done.  The  views  all  the 
way  up  were  very  fine  till  we  got  to  the  shrine,  in  a grotto, 
where  they  wanted  us  to  stop  ; but  we  declined,  as  it  was 


30 


PALERMO. 


late,  and  we  wished  to  see  the  view  from  the  summit  by  the 
statue.  There  seemed  no  possible  way  of  proceeding  ; but 
a good  lady  opened  the  front  door  of  her  house,  our  don- 
keys stepped  in,  and  we  proceeded  along  a dark,  very 
smelly  passage,  about  a hundred  yards  long,  from  which 
we  emerged  on  a stony  plain,  about  a mile  in  extent, 
which  we  crossed,  and  then  reached  the  statue,  standing 
on  an  extreme  point  hanging  over  the  sea,  but  much  in 
ruins.  The  head  is  off,  the  hands  are  broken,  and  the 
arcade  that  had  once  surrounded  it  is  also  tumbling  to 
pieces.  The  view  ought  to  have  been  magnificent,  along 
the  coast  to  the  island  of  Ustica,  on  the  west  to  Alicudi 
and  Filicudi,  on  the  east  to  Stromboli  and  Lipari,  while 
inland  the  massive  peak  of  Etna,  more  than  a hundred  and 
twenty  miles  off,  should  have  risen  boldly  up  ; but  un- 
fortunately it  was  misty,  so  we  could  only  imagine  these 
beauties,  and  then  ride  as  fast  as  we  could  back  to  the 
shrine,  by  which  time  it  was  quite  dark,  and  all  the  large 
flocks  of  goats  and  turkeys  which  we  had  passed  on  our 
way  up  had  gone  home  to  bed. 

The  ride  down  was  dark,  but  pleasant,  the  lights  of  the 
town  at  our  feet  twinkling,  whilst  the  whole  landscape  was 
illuminated  from  time  to  time  by  lightning,  and  the  occa- 
sional rumble  of  thunder  added  grandeur  to  the  scene. 
The  donkeys  were  not  of  the  best,  and  riding  down  the 
steep  declivity  was  very  tiring,  as  they  were  constantly 
stumbling.  After  some  difficulty  we  found  the  carriage, 
and  got  on  board  the  yacht  about  7.30  p.m.  The  lightning 
was  even  more  brilliant  after  dinner  than  before — almost 
continuous — lighting  up  all  the  ships  in  the  harbour,  and 
the  town  itself,  like  a most  brilliant  electric  light.  The 


A NIGHT  ALARM. 


3i 


Marina  was  delicious — beautiful  trees  overhanging  the 
sea — and  the  Flora  Gardens,  full  of  choice  exotics,  whose 
scent  was  almost  overpowering,  were  brilliantly  lighted  up. 

If  one  could  only  lie  with  safety  in  a yacht  in  the  bay 
of  Palermo,  just  off  the  Marina,  it  would  be  about  the  most 
agreeable  winter  quarters  one  could  imagine ; but  the  roads 
are  not  very  safe  or  comfortable,  the  harbour  is  crowded, 
airless,  and  stagnant,  and  the  incessant  barking  of  dogs 
and  other  discordant  shore  noises  make  night  hideous. 

I was  awakened  in  the  night  by  hearing  some  one 
come  downstairs.  As  there  was  then  a noise  in  Evie’s 
room,  I got  up  to  see  what  was  the  matter,  and  in  the 
dark  tumbled  over  a man’s  head.  Evie  then  came  from 
the  nursery,  where  she  had  been  to  call  nurse,  and  told 
me  she  had  heard  some  one  fall.  On  receiving  no  answer 
to  her  repeated  questions,  she  lighted  a match,  and  seeing 
a man  lying  down,  trying  to  hide,  as  she  imagined,  she 
tried  to  escape  into  our  room,  but  as  he  stopped  up  that 
door  she  went  to  wake  nurse.  We  woke  Tom  and  Mr. 
Bingham,  and  they  found  he  was  one  of  our  men,  who  had 
not  been  well  for  some  time.  He  had  been  on  shore,  and, 
the  wine  he  had  taken  having  affected  his  head,  he  had, 
come  in  his  sleep  to  try  and  take  out  the  boxes  in  his 
charge  from  the  hatch  which  is  under  the  floor  of  Evie’s 
berth.  It  was  alarming  for  the  moment,  and  woke  us  all 
thoroughly,  for  of  course  we  thought  he  was  a thief  who 
had  crept  across  the  other  ships  and  come  on  board  to  rob. 


CHAPTER  III. 


ATHENS,  GREECE,  AND  THE  ARCHIPELAGO. 

Athens , the  eye  of  Greece,  mother  of  arts 
And  eloquence. 

Wednesday , October  Jth. — We  were  to  have  been  off  at 
6 a.m. ; but  there  was  some  delay  about  the  bill  of  health, 
followed  by  countless  aggravating  hindrances,  and  it  was 

10.30  a.m.  before  we  could  start.  The  thunder-storm  of  last 
night  had  not  entirely  passed  off,  and  it  appeared  to  be 
raining  heavily  along  the  mountains  on  shore.  We  steamed 
out  of  the  harbour,  and  then  found  a fair  breeze,  which 
lasted  till  7 p.m.,  when  it  dropped  completely. 

Thursday , October  8th. — At  4 a.m.  we  got  up  steam, 
and,  passing  the  islands  of  Lipari,  Panaria,  and  Stromboli, 
were  off  the  Faro  of  Messina,  and  entered  the  Straits  about 

11.30  a.m.  The  scene  was  exquisitely  beautiful.  The 
Straits  at  this  point  are  not  more  than  a mile  wide.  The 
rocks  of  Scylla,  crowned  with  a ruined  fortress,  and  the 
whole  of  the  coast  of  southern  Italy,  are  spread  like  a 
panorama  before  you,  while  the  Sicilian  coast  is  equally 
lovely.  Messina  was  reached  all  too  soon.  We  landed 
(this  time  armed  with  the  bill  of  health)  at  the  ‘Sanita,’ 
and  after  being  detained  about  three-quarters  of  an  hour, 
answering  unimportant  questions,  and  interviewing  the 
British  Consul,  we  were  allowed  to  enter  a carriage  and 
proceed  to  the  Hotel  Victoria  to  order  lunch. 


MESSINA. 


33 


The  old  proveidor  we  had  in  the  ‘Meteor’  met  us,  and 
conducted  us  with  great  pride  about  the  town  to  the  post- 
office,  where  we  were  detained  another  three-quarters  of 
an  hour,  posting  the  letters,  and  vainly  asking  for  some  we 
never  received.  Thence  we  went  to  a coral  shop,  where, 
times  being  so  bad,  they  were  ready  to  dispose  of  their 
goods  at  unprecedentedly  low  prices,  in  order  to  obtain  the 


Deck  View. 


means  of  paying  their  house-rent.  The  accommodation  at 
the  hotel  was  fair,  and  the  landlord  remembered  me,  and 
brought  me  a lovely  bouquet.  After  luncheon  and  a drive, 
we  re-embarked.  The  ‘ Sunbeam  ’ had  not  dropped  her 
anchor,  but  had  been  cruising  about  in  the  Straits.  The 
steward  soon  joined  us  with  our  fresh  provisions,  and  about 
4 p.m.  we  steamed  easily  down  the  Straits.  As  a fresh 
fair  breeze  was  blowing,  the  fires  were  now  allowed  to  burn 


34 


MOUNT  ETNA . 


themselves  out,  and  the  sails  were  hoisted.  The  ever  lovely 
Straits  were  illumined  by  the  light  of  the  setting  sun.  This 
is  now  the  fifth  time  we  have  been  here,  and  each  time  we 
think  them  more  beautiful  even  than  before.  About  7 p.m. 
the  breeze  began  to  drop  with  the  sun ; hall  an  hour  later 
it  was  a flat  calm. 

Framing  the  mighty  landscape  to  the  west 
A purple  range  of  mountain-caves,  between 
Whose  interspaces  gush’d  in  blinding  bursts 
The  incorporate  blaze  of  sun  and  sea. 

Friday , October  gth. — At  1 a.m.  the  fires  were  lighted, 
and  by  8 a.m.  we  were  under  steam,  not  having  shifted  our 
position  two  miles  during  the  night.  It  was  a glorious  day, 
but  a flat  calm.  With  two  fires  only,  we  steamed  easily 
nine  knots.  At  sunset  we  saw  Mount  Etna — 11,000  feet 
high  — as  though  rising  from  the  sea,  a hundred  and 
twenty  miles  off,  the  island  of  Sicily  quite  disappearing 
from  sight.  A cuckoo  came  on  board  and  was  caught, 
but  we  soon  released  him,  hoping  he  would  reach  the  land. 
The  night  was  quite  superb,  myriads  of  stars  being  visible  ; 
and  the  multitudes  of  brilliant  animalcules  in  the  water 
seemed  to  reflect  them,  as  the  ‘ Sunbeam’s  ’ bows  threw  a 
wave  of  light  from  under  her.  The  most  beautiful  pheno- 
menon of  this  sort  previously  seen  during  this  voyage  was 
off  Lisbon,  on  a rough  night,  when  the  sea  was  like  molten 
gold,  lit  up  to  such  a depth  that  hundreds  of  fish  could 
be  seen  darting  away  like  comets  on  all  sides.  On  the 
present  occasion  there  were  a great  many  shooting  stars 
and  meteors  of  extraordinary  brilliancy.  The  nights  are 
so  warm  that  one  delights  in  sitting  on  deck  to  watch 
these  erratic  luminaries,  and  it  is  hardly  possible  to  deter- 
mine when  to  go  to  bed.  The  heat  in  the  day  is  great — 


THE  GREEK  COAST. 


35 


750  in  the  shade  in  a thorough  draught  on  board — but 
there  is  always  such  a pleasant  breeze,  that  we  have  never 
felt  it  oppressive. 

Saturday , October  io th. — At  1.30  a.m.  I was  awakened 
by  a knock  at  our  door,  and  heard  a very  frightened 
voice  saying,  ‘ Please,  ma’am,  is  Mr.  Brassey  there  ? Edgar 
Jones  is  taken  very  bad  with  cramp,  on  deck,  and  I think 
he  is  dying.’  I went  on  deck,  and  found  the  poor  man 
lying  in  great  agony,  surrounded  by  a group  of  his  ship- 
mates ; so  I called  Tom,  and  we  compounded  him  two 
draughts  and  some  embrocation,  which  in  a couple  of  hours 
brought  him  round,  and  with  a little  more  treatment  he  is 
nearly  well  to-day.  It  was  a somewhat  alarming  incident 
for  the  middle  of  the  night,  and  made  us  reflect  that  the 
presence  of  a doctor  on  board  would  sometimes  be  a com- 
fort. We  have  had  a good  deal  of  illness  of  this  sort 
among  the  men  ; but  in  this  climate,  with  fruit  so  delicious 
and  cheap  as  it  is  at  every  port  we  touch  at,  it  is  not  much 
to  be  wondered  at. 

A fresh  breeze  had  sprung  up  just  before  sunrise.  By 
6 a.m.  all  sails  were  set,  and  we  were  bowling  away  eleven 
knots  before  a fair  wind,  with  a heavy  swell  on  our  quarter, 
coming  down  the  Adriatic.  About  11.30  a.m.  we  saw  the 
Greek  land  and  the  island  of  Zante  in  the  distance,  and 
soon  after  we  were  under  their  shelter,  and  our  speed  had 
increased  to  thirteen  knots.  When  Tom  was  taking-  his 
observation  at  noon,  he  noticed  an  eclipse  of  the  sun  com- 
mencing, which  we  had  not  previously  thought  about,  and 
which  we  subsequently  watched  with  great  interest  through 
one  of  my  prepared  dry  plates  for  photography. 

At  4 p.m.  we  could  make  out  the  bold  outline  of 


36 


CAPE  MATA  PAN. 


the  coast  and  the  island  of  Navarino,  which  at  sunset 
looked  specially  beautiful.  The  breeze  fell  light  soon  after, 
and  from  8 to  12  p.m.  we  were  completely  becalmed. 
To-night,  as  usual,  there  were  myriads  of  stars  above,  the 
jelly-fish  in  the  sea  apparently  reflecting  them  below. 

Sunday , October  1 1 th. — At  midnight  we  were  under 
steam ; about  1.30  a.m.  we  made  Cape  Matapan,  and 
about  4 a.m.,  when  we  were  off  the  island  of  Cerigo,  a 
strong  contrary  breeze  sprang  up.  The  sun  rose  over  a 
lovely  scene,  enlivened  by  crowds  of  ships,  either  profiting 
by  the  favourable  breeze  or  beating  against  it,  as  their 
course  lay.  We  steamed  across  the  gulf  of  Nauplia  and 
Argos,  past  the  island  of  Bello  Pulo,  and  then  had  to 
change  our  course  slightly  in  order  to  make  Cape  Hydra. 
Though  the  thermometer  was  still  720  in  the  shade,  the 
north-easterly  breeze — almost  a trade  wind  in  these  parts, 
so  prevalent  is  it — made  it  feel  quite  cool.  The  blue  of  the 
sea  is  exquisite,  broken  up  here  and  there  by  little  white 
curly-crested  waves,  and  the  rich  yellow,  brown,  and  red 
tints  of  the  rocks  and  islands  which  rise  from  it  contrast 
beautifully  with  its  vivid  ultramarine.  We  expect  to  reach 
Athens  between  nine  and  ten  to-night,  and  it  is  to  be 
hoped  we  may,  for  we  have  no  bread  or  fresh  provisions  on 
board,  the  hot  weather  having  compelled  us  to  throw  all 
the  latter  away,  and  our  last  live  chicken  will  be  killed  and 
consumed  for  lunch. 

All  the  afternoon  the  wind  continued  to  increase  in 
force,  much  delaying  our  progress  even  when  we  were 
under  shelter  of  the  land  and  in  comparatively  smooth 
water.  At  5.30  p.m.  we  had  service,  in  spite  of  the  howling 
of  the  wind,  and  by  8 p.m.  we  had  passed  the  island  of 


THE  PIRTEUS. 


37 


JEgi na  and  the  bay  near  the  isthmus  of  Corinth,  and  were 
off  the  island  of  Salamis.  The  harbour  of  the  Piraeus  is 
difficult  to  enter  at  night,  on  account  of  its  narrowness, 
there  being  hardly  the  width  of  two  ships  between  the 
lighthouse  and  a great  rock  bearing  a beacon  but  no  light. 
However,  Tom  managed  it  successfully  without  a pilot, 
and  by  io  p.m.  We  were  safely  anchored  inside. 

Monday , October  12 th. — At  6 a.m.  the  health  officers 
came  on  board  and  informed  us  that  there  were  some 
cases  of  small-pox  in  the  town,  and  that,  although  the 
Greek  authorities  would  not  be  able  to  furnish  us  with 
a clean  bill  of  health  when  we  left,  the  Turkish  consul 
might  give  us  a visa,  which  would  make  matters  right. 
After  a little  debate  we  decided  to  run  the  very  slight 
risk  of  quarantine  at  Constantinople,  and  land.  Soon 
£fter,  the  captain  Of  the  Russian  armour-plated  frigate 
* Prince  Pajowski,’  and  the  captain  of  the  French  corvette 
lying  here,  came  on  board,  to  offer  us  any  assistance  we 
might  require  (our  own  gunboat,  the  ( Torch,’  having  gone 
away  for  a few  days),  &nd  as  neither  of  them  had  heard 
anything  about  small-pox  we  were  much  relieved.  The 
yacht  was  soon  surrounded  by  a Crowd  of  boats,  some  with 
fruit,  some  with  washerwomen,  some  with  interpreters.  Of 
the  latter  we  selected  one  Angelo  Mellissino,  who  turned 
out  to  be  a very  satisfactory  choice. 

Directly  after  breakfast  we  landed,  and,  hiring  one 
of  the  numerous  pair-horse  barouches  in  waiting,  were 
quickly  driven  through  the  streets  of  the  Piraeus,  along  the 
road  towards  Athens.  The  white-petticoated  and  large- 
trousered  men,  with  bright  sashes  and  braided  jackets,  strucl. 
us  all  much,  as  also  did  the  great-coated  women,  many  ol 


38 


FRUIT  WITHOUT  WATER. 


whom  wore  a fez  with  long  gold  tassel,  even  when  in  Euro- 
pean dress,  which  looked  most  incongruous.  The  road 
runs  across  a large  plain  covered  with  vines  and  olives, 
pomegranates  and  figs,  and  when  we  remember  that  there 
is  no  artificial  irrigation,  and  that  it  has  not  rained  for  six 
months,  it  is  wonderful  how  such  splendid  fruit  can  be 


Greek  Costume. 


produced.  There  are  no  fences,  and  all  along  the  road  the 
wild-looking  drivers  of  the  quaint  country  carts  were  making 
excursions  into  the  vineyards,  and  filling  their  aprons  with 
grapes.  Halfway  to  Athens  there  are  two  wells  and  a 
few  huts,  where  drivers  and  horses  usually  stop  to  drink, 
a refreshment  necessitated  not  so  much  by  the  length  of 


ATHENS. 


39 


the  journey  as  by  the  dust  which  hangs  over  everything  in 
thick  white  clouds.  Soon  after  we  emerged  from  the  avenue 
of  Bella  Sombras,  and  came  in  sight  of  Athens  and  its 
Acropolis,  the  ruins  standing  out  against  the  bright  blue 
sky,  the  only  bit  of  colour  anywhere.  Everything  else  is 
grey  at  this  time  of  year.  All  the  hills  are  burnt  up.  The 
plains  are  worse.  The  houses  are  drab,  cream-colour,  or 
white.  The  roofs  are  all  grey,  and  the  trees  and  the  green 
shutters  so  coated  with  dust,  that  they  are  grey  too.  It  is 
only  towards  evening,  when  the  mountains  are  clot'hed  in 
the  purple  colouring  of  sunset,  that  there  is  any  relie  from 
the  monotonous  aridity. 

We  drove  first  to  the  Temple  of  Theseus,  the  most  per- 
fectly preserved  temple  of  the  ancient  world.  The  situation 
has  sheltered  it  from  shot  and  shell  ; but  without  doubt  it 
owes  its  escape  from  destruction  in  part  to  the  circumstance 
that  in  the  middle  ages  it  was  consecrated  as  a church.  It 
is  a beautiful  building,  with  its  double  row  of  columns,  bas- 
reliefs,  and  roof,  all  perfect,  and  now  contains  an  interesting 
collection  of  antiquities,  gathered  from  its  immediate 
neighbourhood.  Thence  we  drove  up  the  hill  to  the 
Acropolis,  passing  on  our  way  the  modern  observatory 
on  the  Hill  of  the  Nymphs.  The  Hill  of  Pnyx  rose  on 
our  right,  and  the  Areopagus,  where  St.  Paul  preached,  on 
our  left.  We  entered  the  gates,  and  passing  among  ruins 
of  all  kinds,  statues,  bas-reliefs,  columns,  capitals,  and 
friezes,  soon  approached  the  propylaea.  Then  we  went  to 
the  little  Temple  of  Victory,  closed  with  iron  gates  and  full 
of  most  exquisite  bits  of  statues  and  bas-reliefs,  specially 
two  dancing  girls,  graceful  in  attitude  and  full  of  life  and 
action.  After  these  preliminary  peeps  at  loveliness  and  art 


40 


THE  ACROPOLIS 


we  went  up  the  long  flight  of  steps  past  the  Pinacotheca, 
and  soon  stood  on  the  top  of  the  Hill  of  the  Acropolis, 
and  in  full  view  of  all  its  glories. 

On  one  side  was  the  splendid  Parthenon,  on  the  other 
the  Erectheum,  with  the  Porch  of  Caryatides,  called  Beau- 
tiful ; and  right  well  it  deserves  its  name.  Six  noble 
columns  are  still  standing.  We  strolled  about  for  a long 


ramie  view  from  the  top — over  the  town  of  Athens,  toEleusis, 
Salamis,  and  Corinth  on  one  side,  and  from  Mount  Pen- 
telicus  and  Mount  Hymettus  to  the  Elysian  fields — till  our 
eyes  wandered  round  by  the  ancient  harbours  of  Phalerum 
and  Piraeus,  back  again  by  the  Street  of  Tombs  to  Athens, 
looking  more  dusty  and  more  grey  than  ever  as  we  gazed 
down  on  its  grey-tiled  roofs.  Even  the  gardens  and  palm- 


ROYAL  PALACE  AND  GARDENS . 


41 


trees  hardly  relieved  it.  It  was  nearly  three  o’clock  before 
we  could  tear  ourselves  away,  and,  hungry  and  tired,  we  re- 
paired to  the  comfortable  Hotel  des  Etrangers,  where  we 
found  rest,  refreshment,  and  piles  of  English  papers  to  read. 
Both  bedrooms  and  sitting-rooms  were  very  clean  and  well 
furnished. 

Having  called  on  some  friends  at  the  English  Embassy, 
we  drove  to  the  Arch  of  Hadrian  and  the  Temple  of 
Jupiter  Olympius,  or  rather  what  remains  of  it — fifteen 
lovely  columns  standing,  and  one  on  the  ground  in  pieces. 
A coffeehouse-keeper  had  established  himself  dose  by, 
and  there  were  many  little  deal  chairs  and  tables  arranged 
under  the  shelter  of  the  giant  columns,  looking  rather  in- 
congruous, but  at  the  same  time,  perhaps,  making  the  ruin 
appear  even  greater  in  its  grandeur  from  the  force  of 
contrast.  Then  we  drove  to  the  royal  garden  immediately 
surrounding  the  palace,  where  anyone  is  permitted  to  walk 
from  4 to  5.30  p.m.  It  is  laid  out  with  winding  paths  and 
shrubberies,  leading  to  open  spaces  planted  with  rare  exotics 
under  the  shade  of  high  trees.  The  system  of  irrigation 
employed  keeps  all  fresh  and  green  even  in  this  hot  thirsty 
climate.  We  went  to  one  or  two  shops,  bought  some 
photographs,  and  then  had  the  very  dustiest  drive  through 
the  Street  of'  Tombs  back  to  the  Piraeus,  where  we  all 
arrived  looking  like  millers.  It  was  a fine  night,  and  much 
cooler. 

Tuesday , October  13th. — We  were  so  smothered  with 
dust  yesterday  that  we  determined  to  try  the  train,  and, 
starting  at  9 a.m.,  reached  Athens  in  ten  minutes.  It  was 
then  but  a short  drive  to  the  Acropolis,  where  we  spent 
a couple  of  hours,  perfecting  our  pleasant  impressions  of 


42 


GREEK  WINE. 


yesterday.  At  1 1 a.m.  we  went  to  the  hotel  to  breakfast 
with  some  friends,  and  a capital  breakfast  they  gave  us. 
The  table  was  beautifully  decorated,  and  the  cook  must 
have  been  a real  artist.  We  had  the  wines  of  the  country 
to  taste  ; some  were  very  good,  and  some  peculiar  rather 
than  palatable.  The  ordinary  wine  drunk  by  the  common 


Woman  of  A-thens. 


people  is  largely  mixed  with  resin,  to  preserve  it.  They 
say,  when  once  you  acquire  the  taste  for  it,  you  do  not  like 
anything  else  ; but  to  the  uninitiated  it  is  very  medicinal. 
We  had  honey,  too,  from  Mount  Hymettus.  Anything 
more  delicious  you  can  hardly  imagine.  The  perfume 
reminds  you  of  a well-sunned  bank  of  heather  on  a lovely 


TEMPLE  OF  MINERVA. 


43 


August  day  on  the  moors.  We  found  that  the  trains,, 
like  everything  else,  had  a siesta,  and  that  there  were 
none  in  the  middle  of  the  day  ; so  we  had  another  dusty 
drive  back  to  the  Piraeus.  Before  starting,  we  went  to 
some  greenhouses  belonging  to  the  Scotch  gardener  of  the 
English  consul,  and  bought  some  beautiful  plants.  He  said 
that  anything  at  all  rare  or  curious  came  from  London 
or  Paris,  as  everything  deteriorates  so  in  this  climate. 

The  yacht  had  steam  up  when  we  went  on  board,  and 
Athens  was  soon  many  miles  astern.  The  view,  looking 
back,  was  exquisite,  but  outside  the  north-east  wind  was 
blowing  hard,  and  as  all  the  ships  going  before  it  had 
every  sail  reefed,  and  those  wishing  to  go  against  it  had 
mostly  put  in  for  shelter,  Tom  thought  it  prudent  to  do 
likewise,  especially  as  night  was  coming  on  and  it  looked 
thick.  So  we  ran  under  the  shelter  of  Cape  Sunium,  a 
fine  headland,  rising  from  the  sea,  and  crowned  with  the 
Temple  of  Minerva.  We  had  hardly  dropped  anchor  be- 
fore a Norwegian  barque  that  we  had  seen  near  Tromsoe 
recognised  us,  and  began  dipping  her  ensign  most  enthu- 
siastically. An  Austrian  barque  thought  proper  to  follow 
her  example,  so  for  some  time  there  was  great  exchange 
of  salutations.  Soon  after,  a large  mail  steamer  came  in 
for  shelter  from  the  fury  of  the  gale. 

Wednesday , October  14 th. — Under  way  by  6 a.m.  The 
lovely  Temple  of  Minerva  looked  even  more  beautiful  than 
it  did  last  night,  as  the  sun  slowly  rose  and  shone  on  its 
white  columns,  the  cliffs  rising  red  and  brown  from  the 
deep  blue  sea.  A few  little  sails,  scudding  gaily  along 
before  the  breeze,  under  shelter  of  the  land,  made  up  a 
perfect  picture.  It  was  here  that  Lord  Byron  and  his 


44 


SYCAMINO. 


friends  were  nearly  captured  by  robbers,  and  this  was  also 
the  scene  of  Falconer’s  shipwreck.  Outside  it  was  still 
blowing  a gale,  right  in  our  teeth  ; and,  as  it  was  impossible 
to  proceed  on  our  course,  Tom  decided  to  try  a narrow 
passage  between  the  island  of  Negropont  and  the  mainland. 
We  steered  direct  for  it,  and  were  soon  in  smoother  water 
again,  and  under  shelter  of  the  high  mountains,  though  the 
wind  was  still  so  strong  that  we  could  not  make  more  than 
five  knots  under  a full  head  of  steam.  We  passed  the  plain 
of  Marathon.  It  is  separated  from  Athens  by  Mount  Pen- 
telicus,  whose  peaks  form  a background  to  the  long  plain 
and  marshes.  Then  we  passed  near  the  white  ruins  of 
Rhadmis,  gleaming  among  groves  of  myrtle  and  lentisk  ; 
by  Delis  and  Apostoli,  so  called  from  the  many  voyages 
of  the  apostles  ; then  close  to  Sycamino,  where  Mr.  Vyner 
and  his  unfortunate  companions  were  shot  by  the  brigands 
in  1870 — victims  of  the  mismanagement  of  their  friends, 
and  of  the  want  of  faith  of  the  Greek  government.  Shortly 
after,  we  came  to  a very  narrow  passage,  with  shallow  water 
on  each  side.  Some  fishermen  came  alongside,  but  as  we 
could  not  understand  them  or  they  us,  we  had  to  send  the 
gig  on  before  to  sound,  and  then  creep  our  way  slowly  after 
her,  till  we  dropped  anchor  at  Drokho,  close  to  the  site  of 
the  ancient  Chalcis.  We  thought  we  were  rather  near  the 
mountains,  still  said  (and  with  truth)  to  be  infested  by 
brigands  ; the  deck  watch  was  therefore  doubled  and  armed 
with  rifles  and  cutlasses,  with  orders  to  call  up  the  re- 
mainder of  the  watch  if  any  boat  approached.  We  were 
not  disturbed,  however. 

Thursday , October  i$lh. — Tom  and  I were  up  early  and 
off  to  Euripo,  the  town  built  on  the  site  of  the  ancient 


EURIPO. 


45 


Chalcis,  to  try  and  get  a pilot  We  rowed  up  about  two 
miles.  As  we  approached,  the  town  looked  most  picturesque, 
surrounded  by  old  Venetian  walls  and  battlements,  now 
tumbling  to  decay.  At  the  foot  of  the  wall  in  many  places 
were  lying  the  stone  cannon-balls,  of  enormous  size,  which 
had  commenced  the  work  of  destruction  centuries  ago. 
The  town  is  built  on  the  right  or  south  side  of  the  strait, 


The  Promenade  at  Euripo  (Ancient  Chalcis). 


and  an  old  Venetian  fort  stands  on  the  north.  These  are 
connected  by  a bridge  about  fifty  feet  long,  which  opens  to 
admit  the  passage  of  ships.  The  moles  connected  by  this 
bridge  were  first  thrown  out  41 1 B.c.  Thus  commanding 
the  strait,  the  Boeotians  were  enabled  to  intercept  the  direct 
commerce  of  the  Athenians  with  Thrace,  Thessaly,  and 
Macedonia,  compelling  their  ships  to  navigate  a stormy 
sea,  where  the  same  wind  prevailed  ten  months  in  the 


46 


VENETIAN  REMAINS. 


year,  and  where,  even  in  these  days,  it  is  no  unusual  thing 
for  a sailing  ship  to  wait  six  weeks  for  a passage. 

We  landed,  and  no  one  asked  for  our  papers,  though 
we  were  surrounded  by  soldiers  and  a motley  crowd,  even 
at  that  early  hour  of  the  morning.  We  were  soon  fortunate 
enough  to  find  a man  who  could  speak  a few  words  of 
Italian,  and  he  sent  for  a pilot,  while  we  wandered  about, 
first  across  the  bridge  to  the  inside  of  the  fort,  with  curious 
white  marble  reliefs  built  into  the  brickwork,  among  which 
the  winged  lion  of  St.  Mark  was  frequently  repeated. 

We  then  recrossed  the  bridge,  and  walked  up  the  main 
street,  in  which  were  curious  carved  wooden  overhanging 
roofs,  and  projecting  rooms  and  lattices,  to  the  mosque,  a 
picturesque  building,  with  a minaret,  surrounded  with  stone 
cannon-balls.  It  is  now  used  as  a barrack.  Close  by 
there  is  a beautiful  little  Turkish  fountain,  shaded  by  a 
palm-tree  and  some  beautiful  Bella  Sombras.  The  little 
place  is  very  pleasant  and  shady,  with  stone  seats,  and 
tables  in  front  of  them,  and  stands  for  the  band  in  the 
centre.  The  pilot  arrived  before  we  had  quite  finished  our 
inspection  of  the  town,  and  he  fortunately  could  speak  a 
few  words  of  Italian. 

Captain  Mansell,  the  well-known  hydrographer  to  the 
Navy,  introduced  himself  to  us,  and  asked  for  our  papers, 
which  the  Greek  authorities,  having  forgotten  to  demand 
them,  were  in  great  tribulation  about.  He  has  resided 
here  seven  years,  and  has  a nice  house  in  the  town  and  a 
beautiful  garden  outside.  He  gave  us  rather  an  interesting 
description  of  life  in  this  curious,  out-of-the-world,  old  town. 
They  enjoy  a delicious  climate,  and  have  a very  pleasant 
little  society  among  themselves.  Once  a week  a steamer 


EARTHQUAKES 


47 


passes  through  each  way,  which  is  a great  and  pleasing  ex- 
citement. Once  or  twice  a week  earthquakes  occur,  which 
is  not  quite  so  pleasing  an  excitement,  as  they  often  do 
considerable  damage.  The  houses  are  generally  built  only 
one  story  high,  to  avoid  serious  accidents.  Another  draw- 
back to  Euripo  is  the  impossibility  of  going  on  the  mainland, 
on  account  of  the  brigands  who  still  infest  the  country. 
I really  forget  how  many  years  Captain  Mansell  said  it  was 
since  he  had  ventured  to  leave  the  island. 


Castle  of  Euripo 


The  current  came  running  down  under  the  bridge  like 
a millstream,  but  we  were  told  the  tide  would  turn  at  about 
ten  o’clock,  when  we  could  get  through.  We  took  a good 
many  interesting  photographs,  and  after  breakfast  steamed 
slowly  up  to  the  bridge,  when  the  yacht  shot  through 
without  any  trouble.  The  coast  north  of  Chalcis  is  cer- 
tainly very  fine,  high  mountains  rising  from  the  sea,  covered 
with  forests  and  myrtle-groves  down  to  the  water’s  edge. 


48 


MOUNT  ATHOS. 


It  was  a cloudless  afternoon.  A shoal  of  porpoises  ac- 
companied us  for  some  time,  and  there  were  many  land  and 
sea  birds  flying  around.  At  4 p.m.  we  came  out  of  the 
channel  of  Talanta  into  that  of  Orios,  leaving  the  pass  of 
Thermopylae  on  our  left.  Unfortunately  the  sun  set  all  too 
soon,  the  light  failed  us,  and,  the  channel  being  very  narrow, 
we  were  obliged  to  anchor  in  the  bay  of  Gadakira.  The 
young  moon  shone  brightly,  and  the  smell  of  myrtles  from 
the  shore,  not  fifty  yards  off,  was  perfectly  delicious. 

Friday , October  1 6th. — We  got  under  way  at  6 a. m.,  just 
as  the  sun  was  rising,  tipping  the  snowy  peaks  of  the  Pindus 
chain  of  mountains  with  a lovely  rose  colour.  For  the  first 
three  hours  the  scenery  was  exquisite.  We  passed  through 
the  channel  of  Trikhiri,  by  the  large  town  of  Argalasti, 
standing  on  a hill.  Thence  we  steamed  across  the  entrance 
to  the  gulf  of  Volo,  and  among  the  islands  of  Skiatho, 
Scopelo,  loos,  &c.  When  once  really  out  at  sea,  we 
lowered  the  funnel,  and  set  the  sails.  The  wind  was 
blowing  strong,  and  exactly  in  our  teeth,  so  that  the 
* Sunbeam's  ’ head  was  pointed  for  Scyros  instead  of  the 
Dardanelles.  Mount  Athos  was  visible,  rising  grandly 
from  the  sea,  6,000  feet  above  Cape  Santo.  On  the  sum- 
mit there  is  the  strictest  monastery  in  the  world.  Not  a 
female  animal  of  any  kind  is  allowed  within  miles,  so  that 
the  monks  have  to  do  without  milk,  or  fresh  eggs  even,  and 
travellers  are  not  allowed  to  carry  even  dead  hens  on  their 
saddles  for  provision.  A few  years  ago  two  English  ladies 
landed  here  from  a yacht.  As  most  of  the  men  here  wear 
petticoats,  and  the  women  trousers,  and  the  monks  have 
not  a chance  of  much  experience  in  such  matters,  they  did 
not  discover  the  sacrilege  that  had  been  committed  for  . some 


A SHOT  ACROSS  OUR  BOWS. 


49 


time  ; and  then  you  may  imagine  their  horror  and  disgust, 
and  the  penances  they  had  to  perform — poor  things  ! 

About  3 p.m.  we  passed  the  island  of  Scyros,  with  its 
steep  cliffs,  from  which  Theseus  is  said  to  have  cast  himself 
into  the  sea.  Almost  every  little  island  and  rock  is  full  of 
interest,  not  only  from  its  mythological  legends,  but  from 
the  part  it  has  played  in  Grecian  history.  After  passing 
this  island  it  became  very  rough,  and  we  took  more  water 
on  board  than  we  had  hitherto  seen  on  the  deck  of  the 
‘ Sunbeam.’ 

Saturday , October  ijth. — About  I a.m.  we  passed  the 
island  of  Ipsara,  sighted  Chios,  and  at  2 a.m.  made  the  light 
on  Cape  Sigri,  at  the  north  end  of  the  island  of  Mitylene. 
From  then  till  8 a.m.  the  wind  was  shifty,  and  we  only  lost 
ground.  Fires  were  lighted,  and  by  1 1 a.m.  we  were  under 
steam  and  running  up  the  coast  of  the  island,  which  is  very 
large,  and  fertile  in  parts,  with  two  splendid  natural  harbours. 
But  it  is  little  frequented,  although  it  contains  many  in- 
teresting antiquities.  We  ran  up  the  coast  of  Asia  Minor, 
between  the  island  of  Tenedos  and  the  mainland,  passing 
the  site  of  the  ancient  city  of  Alexandria  Troas,  and  the 
plains  of  Troy.  Close  by  was  Besika  Bay,  where  our  fleet 
so  often  lies  at  anchor,  and  opposite  to  us  rose  Tenedos, 
on  the  island  of  the  same  name.  It  seemed  a large  town, 
and  there  were  many  ships  lying  there,  waiting  for  a fair 
wind  to  carry  them  through  the  Dardanelles.  About  8 p.m. 
we  made  the  lights  at  the  entrance,  and  steamed  up 
the  strait  to  Chanak-Kalesi,  where  two  towers  guard  the 
narrowest  part.  Here  we  expected  to  be  boarded  for  our 
bill  of  health.  We  went  slowly,  therefore,  till  a gun  was 
fired  across  our  bows.  Then  we  stopped ; but  finding 


50 


NIGHT  IN  THE  DARDANELLES. 


that  nobody  came,  and  that  the  current  was  carrying 
us  backwards,  we  proceeded  on  our  course,  and  heard  no 
more  about  it.  The  passage  is  very  narrow,  in  many 
places  narrower  than  Southampton  Water,  and  oftentimes 
crowded  with  ships,  many  of  them  not  carrying  lights. 
Though  beautifully  lighted,  it  is  rather  a difficult  piece  of 
navigation  for  a stranger  in  the  dark,  and  people  here  are 
much  astonished  at  Tom’s  having  attempted  it  and  done 
it  successfully.  But  he  was  so  confident,  and  the  Admiralty 
charts  are  so  good,  that  we  went  full  speed  all  the  way, 
and  never  hesitated  for  a moment.  It  was  a great  dis- 
appointment, coming  through  in  the  dark,  but  we  hope  to 
see  it  better  on  our  return  voyage. 

On  arriving  at  Constantinople  we  found  we  were  very 
lucky  not  to  have  had  a shot  fired  into  our  hull,  instead  of 
across  our  bows.  By  the  strict  letter  of  the  law,  I believe 
we  ought  to  have  paid  a fine  of  24/.  for  our  mistake,  but 
through  the  good  offices  of  our  consul  the  matter  was 
arranged. 


General  Vie-w  of  Constantinople 


CHAPTER  IV. 

CONSTANTINOPLE. 

The  city  now  doth  like  a garment  wear 
The  beauty  of  the  morning.  . . . 

Never  did  sun  more  beautifully  steep 
In  his  first  splendour,  valley,  rock,  or  hill. 

Sunday , October  1 8th. — We  were  on  deck  at  daybreak, 
and  saw  the  sun  rise  over  the  low  lands  on  each  side  of  the 
Sea  of  Marmora  ; but  it  was  9 a.m.  before  we  got  our  first 
glimpse  of  Constantinople  rising  from  the  sea,  and  it  was 
1 1 a.m.  before  we  were  at  all  near  enough  to  realise  its 
beauties.  Mosques  in  every  direction,  with  their  round 
domes  surrounded  by  slender  minarets  towering  one  above 
the  other,  looking  like  sentries  keeping  guard  over  the 
shrine  ; cypress-trees,  old  fortifications,  houses,  and  palaces 
in  every  style  of  architecture  ; towers,  high,  low,  thin, 
thick,  round,  and  square,  with  battlements  and  without; 


52 


THE  GOLDEN  HORN. 


gardens,  ships,  boats,  steamers,  barracks,  and  public  build- 
ings, all  mixed  together  in  the  wildest  and  most  picturesque 
confusion,  make  up  one  of  the  largest  ports  in  the  world. 
It  has  a great  trade  of  its  own,  besides  being  the  great 
highway  to  the  Black  Sea.  The  three  towns  of  Stamboul, 
Pera,  and  Skutari  are  separated  by  such  narrow  arms  of  the 
Golden  Horn  and  Bosphorus,  that  land  and  water  appear 
completely  blended.  From  a distance  it  is  almost  impos- 
sible to  see  where  one  ends  and  the  other  begins. 

We  steamed  slowly  along,  past  endless  houses  and 
gardens,  with  occasional  patches  of  barren  waste,  where 
there  had  been  a great  fire,  till  we  reached  Seraglio  Point,, 
just  at  the  entrance  to  the  Bosphorus  and  the  Golden 
Horn.  Here  a pilot  and  the  captain  of  the  port  came 
alongside,  and  after  some  difficulty  in  threading  our  way 
among  the  crowds  of  shipping,  and  one  very  near  shave  of 
a collision,  we  dropped  our  anchor  at  1.30  p.m.  just  off' the 
arsenal  at  Tophaneh,  where  the  men-of-war  lay.  Now  we 
were  able  to  look  round  at  our  leisure. 

As  usual,  on  coming  into  port,  we  were  immediate^ 
surrounded  by  a crowd  of  picturesque  boats,  full  of  things 
for  sale.  The  caiques  shot  swiftly  by,  sometimes  with  a 
load  of  merchandise,  but  more  frequently  with  a muffled- 
up  Turkish  family  on  board.  About  4.30  p.m.  we  landed, 
and,  passing  through  streets  which  offered  a picture  at  every 
corner,  went  to  the  public  garden,  where  the  band  was 
playing,  and  all  the  European  rank  and  fashion  of  Con- 
stantinople were  assembled.  We  dined  at  Misseri’s  hotel, 
where  we  found  many  friends.  As  we  walked  down  to 
the  boat  a Turkish  regimental  band  was  playing  most 
discordant  music  in  front  of  the  officers’  quarters.  The 


ILLUMINA  TIONS. 


53 


streets  were  crowded,  the  mosques  and  minarets  illuminated, 
and  squibs  were  going  off  in  every  direction.  It  was  the 
Fast  of  Ramazan,  which  some  Mohammedans  keep  very 
strictly,  neither  eating,  drinking,  nor  smoking  (the  last, 
perhaps,  the  greatest  deprivation  of  all  to  an  Oriental) 
from  sunrise  to  sunset  Then  the  gun  fires,  and  from 
having  been  half  asleep  all  day,  they  rouse  themselves  to 
eat,  drink,  and  rejoice  all  night  long.  The  view  from  the 
yacht  of  the  hundreds  of  airy-looking  pointed  minarets 
lighted  up  with  myriads  of  tiny  lamps  was  very  beautiful. 
The  dogs  which  abound  here  made  night  hideous  by  their 
cries,  rushing  about  in  large  packs  from  quarter  to  quarter ; 
and  unfortunately  we  lay  near  enough  to  the  shore  to  be 
kept  awake  by  them. 

Monday,  October  \gth. — On  deck  at  daybreak.  Even 
then  (in  spite  of  the  Sultan’s  order  that  all  steamers  should 
consume  their  own  smoke)  the  atmosphere  was  very  murky, 
and  though  it  was  a beautiful,  bright,  clear  morning,  the 
city  had  a much  more  Manchesterian  aspect  than  I liked 
to  see,  and  put  one  rather  in  mind  of  Liverpool,  seen  from 
the  opposite  side  of  the  Mersey.  Before  we  had  done 
breakfast  the  English  vice-consul  came  on  board,  bringing 
us  each  a good  supply  of  letters.  He  told  us  a good  deal 
of  gossip  and  ne-.vs  about  the  place,  and  then  we  went 
across  the  water  to  the  celebrated  bazaars  of  Stamboul. 
The  crowd  was  very  amusing — such  numbers  of  Turkish 
ladies,  attended  by  negroes,  eunuchs,  or  old  women,  making 
purchases  of  all  sorts,  but  mostly  buying  articles  of  European 
manufacture.  It  was  amusing  to  see  them  admiring  and 
bargaining  for  second-hand  European  dresses,  all  very 
smart  in  trimming  and  of  the  most  gorgeous  colours, 


54 


BAZAARS  AT  STAMBOUL. 


though  somewhat  soiled.  I have  often  wondered  what 
became  of  old  ball  and  dinner  dresses,  but  now  that  I 
have  seen  the  enormous  quarter  of  the  bazaar  devoted 
to  the  sale  of  these  articles  of  apparel,  I cease  to  do  so. 
The  old  saying  that  two  of  a trade  never  agree  does  not, 
it  is  to  be  hoped,  hold  good  here,  for  there  are  streets  in 
which  reside  sellers  of  saddles,  slippers,  silk,  cotton,  and 
woollen  goods,  embroideries,  beds,  chairs,  handkerchiefs, 
and  every  sort  of  thing — rows  of  little  shops  on  each  side 
of  a very  narrow  path,  the  proprietors  of  which  all  sell 
the  same  article.  In  this  way  you  have  the  convenience 
of  great  choice  and  much  competition  among  the  dealers, 
but  if  you  have  many  purchases  to  make  you  have  to 
traverse  an  enormous  area  of  ground,  for  the  bazaars  are 
miles  in  extent,  and  it  is  said  that  no  one  resident  in  Con- 
stantinople has  ever  seen  the  whole  of  them. 

We  were  disappointed  in  the  look  of  the  things  exposed 
for  sale,  but  I fancy  all  the  best  are  kept  inside.  The 
Bezistan,  in  the  centre,  is  perhaps  the  most  interesting. 
Here  you  find  beautiful  old  weapons  of  every  description, 
jewellery,  furniture,  and  all  sorts  of  things,  especially 
clocks  of  the  most  elaborate  construction,  telling  the  hours 
of  the  day,  the  days  of  the  week  and  month,  and  playing 
one  or  two  tunes.  They  are  of  the  best  workmanship,  made 
perhaps  a hundred  years  ago  in  England  for  the  Turks, 
who  have  a veritable  mania  for  timepieces.  I have  seen 
twenty-six  large  clocks  and  candelabras  in  one  room  in  the 
harem  at  Bardo  belonging  to  the  Bey  of  Tunis.  But  they 
are  now  to  be  sold  very  cheap,  on  account  of  some  change 
of  fashion.  It  is  the  most  trying  work  going  through  the 
bazaars,  standing,  pushing,  and  being  pushed  ; and  very  hot, 


THE  OTTOMAN  BANE 


55 


for  they  are  all  covered,  while  large  round  holes  in  the  roof 
admit  the  light  in  the  most  beautiful  rays  and  streams  on 
to  the  motley  crowd  and  gay  stuffs  beneath. 

From  the  bazaar  we  went  to  the  Ottoman  Bank,  to  take 
a letter  of  introduction  to  Mr.  Foster,  the  chairman.  He 
was  out,  but  another  director,  whom  we  had  known  in 
Bey  rout,  and  an  old  friend  of  Tom’s  father,  came  in. 
It  is  very  pleasing  and  almost  astonishing,  even  to  us  who- 


Tower  in  the  .Bosphorus. 


knew  his  worth  so  well,  to  find  in  what  affection,  respect, 
and  esteem  Mr.  Brassey’s  memory  is  still  held  in  every 
town,  country,  and  continent  we  visit,  and  what  kind  con- 
sideration and  attention  the  name  always  commands  for  us. 

After  lunch,  we  drove  all  round  about  and  through 
Stamboul,  past  the  various  mosques,  the  curious  columns 
of  Theodosius  and  of  the  Three  Serpents.  The  obelisk  of 
Egyptian  granite,  about  fifty  feet  high,  in  one  piece,  brought 
from  Egypt  by  Constantine  the  Great,  is  close  by,  and  from 


56 


SIGHTS  OF  CONSTANTINOPLE. 


this  point  we  went  to  the  door  of  the  Cistern  of  Con- 
stantine, now  called  the  ‘ Thousand  and  One  Columns  ’ 
(from  its  numerous  supports),  but  we  did  not  descend  into 
its  subterranean  depths.  We  went  to  see  the  Tombs  of  the 
Sultans,  a large  room  under  a dome,  in  the  middle  of  a 
garden.  It  is  beautifully  carpeted,  and  in  the  centre  is  the 
large  tomb  of  the  late  Sultan,  with  mother-of-pearl  railings. 
All  his  family  lie  around  him.  The  tombs  are  all  covered 
with  beautiful  brocades  and  shawls,  and  are  surrounded  by 
richly  inlaid  praying-desks,  or  with  illuminated  copies  of 
the  Koran  lying  open  on  them.  Close  by  are  buried  the 
three  sons  of  the  late  Sultar/s  sister,  barbarously  murdered 
in  infancy,  according  to  the  then  existing  law,  to  prevent 
their  ever  aspiring  to  the  throne.  When  the  late  Sultan 
came  to  the  throne,  he  had  his  five  brothers  bowstrung 
before  his  eyes,  for  the  same  reason.  It  is  indeed  a 
wonderful  country,  with  its  mixture  of  barbarism,  luxury, 
and  civilisation. 

Our  drive  ended  at  Misseri’s.  After  dinner  we  walked 
back  to  the  boat,  down  the  stony  staircase-like  streets, 
tumbling  at  every  step  over  dogs  which  seem  to  be  asleep, 
for  they  never  take  the  trouble  to  move  till  you  tread  on 
them  in  the  dark,  and  get  an  unpleasant  snap  at  your  legs. 
Most  ladies  have  sedan  chairs,  which  are  very  comfortable 
at  night.  In  the  day  there  are  good  horses  for  hire  at  the 
corner  of  every  street.  The  carriage-roads  are  so  few  and 
far  between  that  they  take  you  miles  out  of  your  way,  and 
so  atrocious  that  they  shake  you  to  pieces.  The  moon 
shone  brilliantly,  and  all  the  minarets  were  lighted  up  with 
small  lanterns  arranged  in  a different  pattern  from  those 
of  last  night,  but  quite  as  beautiful. 


THE  PIGEON  MOSQUE. 


57 


Tuesday , October  20 th. — Before  we  had  done  breakfast, 
some  friends  came  on  board,  and  at  10  a.m.  we  started  with 
one  of  them,  who  had  kindly  promised  to  show  us  all  that 
was  best  worth  seeing  in  the  bazaars.  But  it  was  a long 
time  before  the  merchants  would  show  us  anything  really 
good.  They  carefully  barred  and  locked  the  door,  and  we 
had  to  sit  for  an  enormous  time  looking  at  rubbish  before 
they  would  bring  out  the  real  treasures.  The  embroideries, 
some  eight,  some  five,  and  some  four  hundred  years  old,  are 
the  most  beautiful  ; prayer-carpets,  with  silk  and  gold  em- 
broidery and  seed  pearls  ; Persian  enamels  and  narghilis  of 
the  richest  description  ; pierced  copper  lamps,  with  the  most 
delicate  tracery,  set  with  turquoises,  surrounding  quaint 
figures  of  men  and  beasts  ; gold  and  silver  gilt  coffee  sets, 
and  clasps  inlaid  with  coral  and  precious  stones  ; magni- 
ficent pistols,  guns,  knives,  and  daggers ; rare  Oriental 
china  ; in  fact,  every  curious  thing  you  can  conceive.  Then 
we  went  to  what  is  commonly  called  the  Pigeon  Mosque 
on  account  of  the  thousands  of  sacred  birds  that  crowd  the 
court-yards  and  cover  the  roofs.  During  the  present  month, 
in  which  this  year  the  Fast  of  Ramazan  falls,  the  courts  are 
full  of  little  booths,  in  which  all  sorts  of  common  toys, 
china,  lamps,  fruit,  spice,  pickles,  medicine,  are  sold,  and 
which  are  crowded  with  Turkish  ladies  and  gentlemen. 
All  this  was  a long  morning’s  work.  It  was  2.30  p.m. 
before  we  reached  the  yacht,  quite  tired.  In  the  afternoon 
we  went  for  a drive  outside  the  tcwn  past  one  of  the 
Sultan’s  kiosks,  built  only  that  he  may  go  and  smoke  a 
pipe  there  once  or  perhaps  twice  a year.  The  view  from 
the  top  of  the  hill  was  splendid,  across  the  Golden  Horn 
and  the  Bosphorus,  and  over  the  three  towns  of  Pera, 


fS  DOGS  OF  CONSTANTINOPLE. 

Stamboul,  and  Skutari,  with  their  suburbs  of  Galata  and 
Tophaneh.  We  dined  again  at  Misseris,  and  found  the  table 
crowded  with  English  people  and  foreigners,  just  arrived 
by  the  steamer.  Among  others  were  two  most  amusing 
people,  one  a travelling  professor  from  Oxford,  come  out  to 
see  the  transit  of  Venus,  with  very  strong  opinions  of  his 
own  (among  others,  that  Sir  Isaac  Newton  was  a fool),  and 
a Brazilian,  who  had  been  in  the  army  and  navy,  and  had 
learnt  twenty,  and  talked  seven,  languages  indifferently  well. 
Their  discussions  kept  the  whole  table  in  a roan 

When  we  landed  the  first  day  in  the  arsenal,  poor  little 
Felise  was  immediately  set  upon  by  about  twenty  fierce 
dogs,  looking  like  wolves.  Strange  to  say,  in  a few  days 
they  learnt  to  know  her,  and  came  to  the  conclusion  that 
she  did  not  wish  to  settle  among  them  or  take  away  their 
food,  but  simply  to  go  quietly  by  ; so  they  allowed  her 
to  pass  through  them  without  molestation.  These  fierce 
dogs  abound  in  every  part  of  the  three  cities,  and  as  they 
are  the  natural  scavengers  of  the  place,  they  are  never 
interfered  with,  but  are  regularly  fed  by  the  inhabitants. 
They  all  have  their  own  quarters,  perhaps  a dozen  to  half 
a street,  and  woe  betide  the  unlucky  dog  who  comes  from 
another  quarter  in  search  of  food.  He  is  immediately  set 
upon  and  devoured,  unless  he  lies  down  on  his  back  and 
puts  up  his  paws  in  token  of  surrender.  Then,  in  the 
thickest  of  the  fight,  his  assailants  stop  and  content  them- 
selves with  walking  round  him  and  growling,  and  seeing 
him  safely  back  to  his  own  quarter.  The  puppies  are  innu- 
merable, and  when  there  are  too  many  to  be  supported 
in  one  quarter,  the  parents  desert  their  offspring,  and  fight 
their  own  way  somewhere  else,  in  order  to  leave  them 


ST.  SOPHIA 


59 


enough  to  eat  If  you  once  throw  one  a bit  of  bread  in 
passing,  he  never  forgets  you,  but  looks  out  every  day  to 
fawn  upon  you  as  you  go  by.  These  facts  I have  heard 
from  many  long  residents  here  ; so  that,  in  spite  of  their 
ill-favoured  mangy  appearance,  there  is  a good  deal  to  be 
said  for  the  intelligence  of  these  animals,  and  their  scaveng- 
ing services  are  most  necessary,  for  refuse  of  every  kind 
is  thrown  outside  the  door. 


Wednesday , October  21  st. — The  start  this  morning  was 
an  early  one,  for  during  the  Fast  of  Ramazan  Wednesday 
is  the  only  day  on  which  the  mosques  can  be  seen,  and 
there  is  great  difficulty  even  on  that  day  in  procuring  the 
necessar>r  firmans  from  the  Sublime  Porte,  because  the 
officials  sleep  all  day  and  play  all  night,  besides  being  in  a 
horribly  bad  temper  from  fasting.  However,  the  consul’s 
cavass  managed  to  bring  ours  just  at  the  last  moment, 
and  we  went  first  to  St.  Sophia,  a building  more  beautiful 


6o 


MUSEUM  OF  THE  JANISSARIES. 


within  than  without.  An  enormous  dome,  the  largest  in 
the  world,  is  supported  by  arches  of  the  most  beautiful 
proportions.  The  space  in  the  centre  is  perfectly  clear, 
with  the  exception  of  large  hanging  circles  of  oil  lamps,  so 
that  its  vast  proportions  can  be  clearly  seen.  It  is  all 
lined  with  mosaics  and  tiles  of  exquisite  colouring.  Some 
of  the  pillars  which  support  the  arches  are  of  green  jasper 
from  the  Temple  of  Diana  at  Ephesus.  Others  are  of 
porphyry,  brought  from  the  Temple  of  the  Sun  at  Baalbec. 

From  St.  Sophia  we  went  to  the  mosque  of  Ahmedyeh, 
which  is  the  state  mosque,  as  St.  Sophia  is  the  court 
mosque.  The  Sultan  always  goes  there  at  the  Feast  of 
Bairam.  It  is  a beautiful  building  outside,  surrounded  by 
six  minarets.  St.  Sophia  has  four,  and  the  mosque  at 
Mecca  seven.  Inside  is  another  large  dome,  similar  to 
that  of  St.  Sophia,  but  not  so  richly  decorated,  and  the 
pulpit  is  an  exact  copy  of  the  one  at  Mecca.  In  the  squrre 
of  the  ancient  hippodrome,  where  the  mosque  stands,  is 
the  Museum  of  the  Janissaries,  containing  a curious  col- 
lection of  very  stiff  wax  figures,  interesting  only  on  account 
of  their  clothes,  which  are  exact  copies  of  those  worn  by 
the  high  dignitaries,  officials,  and  court  servants,  for  the 
last  hundred  years.  A long  drive  along  the  streets  parallel 
to  the  Golden  Horn  took  us  to  the  mosque  of  Suliemanyieh, 
one  of  the  purest  examples  of  Moslem  architecture.  By 
this  time  it  was  twelve  o’clock,  and  the  hungry  and  fanatical 
worshippers  were  beginning  to  arrive  ; so  we  prudently 
retired,  having  been  warned  that  during  this  season  of 
fasting  it  would  be  rash  to  remain  in  the  mosques  after 
that  hour,  the  pious  Moslem  thinking  he  is  doing  Mahomet 
good  service  by  seeking  an  excuse  to  insult  a Giaour. 


TREASURES  OF  THE  SERAGLIO . 


61 


While  at  the  mosque,  another  cavass  came  rushing 
after  us  with  an  order  for  the  Treasury,  procured  only  at 
the  last  moment ; so  we  drove  thither  and  inspected  its 
varied  treasures.  It  is  in  the  court  of  the  old  Seraglio 
Palace,  which  was  burned  some  years  ago,  when  these 
treasures  were  rescued  with  great  difficulty  from  the 
devouring  flames.  The  first  thing  that  meets  the  eye  on 
entering  is  a magnificent  enamel  throne,  inlaid  with  rubies, 
pearls,  and  diamonds.  The  cases  round  the  room  are  full 
of  velvet  prayer-carpets,  embroidered  in  gold  and  precious 
stones.  They  also  contain  guns,  daggers,  and  swords, 
ornamented  with  priceless  gems,  emeralds  as  big  as  hens’ 
eggs,  and  rubies  as  big  as  pigeons’  eggs,  but  full  of 
flaws,  besides  basins  of  loose  turquoises,  coral,  agates, 
cornelians,  aquamarines,  topazes,  and  rows  of  amber  beads 
of  the  purest  quality.  One  case  was  full  of  agate,  crystal, 
and  jade  vases,  mounted  in  enamel  and  precious  stones. 
Upstairs  are  saddles,  housings,  and  horse-furniture  of  gold 
inlaid  with  coral  and  precious  stones.  But  the  greatest 
marvel  was  a dressing-table  encrusted  with  diamonds  and 
rubies,  the  pillars  supporting  the  glass  set  with  diamonds 
of  large  size,  the  frame  of  the  glass  a mass  of  rubies  and 
diamonds,  and  even  the  fringe  round  the  edge  of  the  table, 
three  or  four  inches  long,  composed  of  hanging  strings  of 
diamonds.  It  is  said  that  the  Empress  of  the  French  was 
presented  with  over  a hundred  thousand  pounds’  worth  of 
things  when  she  was  there,  and  that  the  Sultan  gave  her 
everything  she  admired  or  liked,  without  her  even  express- 
ing any  wish  to  possess  it. 

From  the  Treasury  we  went  to  see  all  that  is  left  of 
the  Seraglio  Palace  since  the  disastrous  fire.  We  all  now 


62 


CAIQUES  INSTEAD  OF  CABS. 


began  to  think  we  had  had  more  than  enough  sight-seeing 
for  one  morning ; so  we  drove  back  beneath  the  large 
plane-trees  by  the  station  to  the  ferry,  where  we  had  left 
our  boat  It  was  necessary  to  wait  for  it  a few  minutes, 
till  it  could  approach  the  landing-place.  While  doing  so 
it  was  very  amusing  to  watch  the  busy  scene.  Owing  to 
the  one  city  of  Constantinople  being  really  three  cities, 
situated  on  three  points  of  land,  the  two  bridges  connect- 
ing Pera,  Stamboul,  and  Skutari,  are  always  crowded. 
The  caique  is  the  cab  of  Constantinople,  and  is  used  by 
everyone,  from  the  highest  to  the  lowest.  There  are  many 
beautiful  carriages,  with  fine  horses,  and  generally  one  or 
two  men  as  an  escort,  which  seem  to  wait  at  the  various 
ferries  at  all  times  of  the  day  for  their  respective  owners. 


Turkish  Waist- clasp. 


CHAPTER  V. 


THE  BOSPHORUS  AND  ITS  PALACES. 

The  European  with  the  Asian  shore 
Sprinkled  with  palaces  ; the  Ocean  stream 
Here  and  there  studded  with  a seventy-four , 

Sophia  s cupola  with  golden  gleam  ; 

The  cypress  groves  ; Olympus  high  and  hoar. 

Thursday , October  22nd. — We  started  at  10  a.m.  from 
Stamboul,  and  crossed  in  the  ferry-boat  to  Skutari.  Once 
on  shore,  we  drove  up  the  hill  behind  Skutari,  towards 
the  pretty  village  of  Chumleyjah,  to  the  hill  called  Bool- 
goorloo,  from  which  there  is  a magnificent  view  all  over 
the  Sea  of  Marmora  and  Prince’s  Islands  to  the  Gulf  of 
Ismed,  Kadi  Keui,  and  Skutari.  At  our  feet  lay  Seraglio 
Point,  Stamboul,  the  Golden  Horn,  Pera,  Tophaneh,  Galata, 
and  the  Bosphorus.  Another  steep  climb  showed  us  a 
lovely  view  up  the  Bosphorus,  over  Beylerbey,  towards 
Therapia,  Buyukdere,  and  the  Black  Sea.  On  the  way 
down  again  we  passed  the  dwelling  of  the  Sultan’s  nurse — 
quite  a palace — and  then  went  to  the  pleasant  little  house 
of  a friend,  whence  we  drove  by  the  high-walled  gardens  of 
one  of  the  Sultan’s  palaces  to  the  quay  at  Beylerbey.  This 
is  one  of  the  best  furnished  and  arranged  of  all  the  palaces, 
and  in  it  the  Empress  of  the  French  stayed  during  her  visit. 
Stepping  into  various  cai'ques  (they  hold,  as  a rule,  only 
two  persons,  and  are  the  most  delightful  conveyances  in  the 
world),  the  whole  party  proceeded  down  the  Bosphorus 


64 


THE  VICEROY  FLEECED. 


and  soon  met  the  yacht,  when  all  went  on  board,  and 
we  steamed  slowly  up  the  Bosphorus.  It  was  a lovely 
afternoon,  and  the  views  were  even  more  beautiful  than  I 
had  expected,  looking  down  from  above.  The  shores  are 
charmingly  wooded  and  undulating,  with  little  valleys  run- 
ning up  into  the  high  mountains  beyond,  and  literally  lined 
with  kiosks  and  palaces.  One  of  the  most  beautiful  of  these 
belongs  to  the  Viceroy  of  Egypt,  but  is  at  present  occupied 
by  his  mother.  He  was  so  ruined  by  backshishing  every- 
body here  last  year,  that  he  is  afraid  to  come  again,  and 
has  sent  his  mother  and  his  yacht  instead.  One  of  the 
stories  afloat  is  that  he  entertained  the  Sultan  one  day  at 
dinner  off  a magnificent  service  of  gold  plate  which  he  had 
ordered  expressly  from  Paris.  After  dinner,  the  Sultan 
intimated  that  no  one  could  eat  off  it  after  him,  and  re- 
quested it  might  be  sent  to  the  palace  at  once ! This  is 
only  a small  specimen  of  what  the  Viceroy  had  to  go 
through,  and  shows  how  he  was  fleeced  right  and  left  by 
everyone  from  the  Sultan  downwards. 

We  passed  Kandili,  from  whence  a continual  look-out 
is  kept  for  fires,  a certain  number  of  guns  being  fired  to 
indicate  the  particular  quarter  of  the  city  in  which  one  is 
occurring.  There  used  to  be  one  and  sometimes  two  a 
day,  but  latterly  they  have  not  been  so  frequent,  and  only 
one  has  occurred  since  our  arrival.  The  fire-engines  are 
most  primitive,  carried  and  worked  by  hand,  and  the  men, 
after  rushing  violently  to  the  scene  of  action,  sit  down 
quietly  till  they  are  hired,  before  commencing  operations. 
Soon  after  we  came  to  Roomili  Hissar,  the  narrowest 
part  of  the  Bosphorus,  where  the  towers  were  built  by  the 
Venetians  and  Genoese  to  take  the  tolls.  This  was  the 


SWEET  WATERS  OF  ASIA . 


65 


entrance  to  the  Bosphorus,  as  Chanak  is  to  the  Dardanelles. 
Here  the  submarine  cable  passes  from  Europe  to  Asia. 
We  rowed  slowly  by  the  Palace  of  the  Sweet  Waters  of 
Asia,  behind  which  is  the  green  meadow,  shaded  by  splen- 
did plane-trees,  where  the  Turkish  ladies  love  to  walk  on 
Fridays  and  Sundays  in  late  summer  and  autumn,  just  as 
they  resort  to  the  Sweet  Waters  of  Europe,  at  the  end  of 
the  Golden  Horn,  in  spring  and  early  summer,  and  to 
Mashleck  in  winter. 

Passing  palaces  and  kiosks  innumerable,  ever  surrounded 
by  lovely  gardens,  we  at  last  reached  Therapia.  It  is  about 
eight  miles  from  Constantinople  by  water.  It  seems  almost 
a misnomer  to  call  such  narrow  straits  (barely  a mile  wide 
in  parts)  sea,  even  though  the  water  is  salt. 

We  dropped  anchor  about  five.  Our  friends  then  left 
us,  and  at  7.30  p.m.  we  went  to  dine  at  the  English 
Embassy.  It  is  built  of  wood  outside,  but  within  you 
enter  a marble  hall,  and  go  up  a marble  staircase,  along 
a corridor  with  marble  columns,  filled  with  plants.  The 
rooms  are  handsome,  and  the  effect  is  very  good.  But  the 
discomfort  is  terrible  in  autumn  and  winter,  for  no  amount 
of  fires  will  raise  the  temperature  above  46°.  The  party 
was  entirely  diplomatic,  and  dinner  was  eaten  off  the 
service  of  plate  saved  with  so  much  difficulty  from  the 
great  fire  in  1870.  Fifteen  hundred  persons  were  killed 
in  that  fire,  though  it  broke  out  at  one  o’clock  in  the  day. 
Lady  Elliot  and  her  children  and  servants  ran  down  to 
take  refuge  on  board  the  ‘ Antelope,’  without  hats  or 
bonnets,  not  saving  a single  article  of  clothing  except  what 
they  had  on,  the  fire  having  begun  at  the  top  of  the  house. 
The  scenes  of  robbery  and  pillage  were  awful,  and  for 


F 


66 


THE  GEE  AT  FIRE  AT  PER  A 


days  after,  dead  bodies  were  lying  about  the  streets,  their 
pockets  full  of  watches,  jewellery,  and  ill-gotten  plunder. 
Yet  this  awful  fire,  which  destroyed  thousands  of  houses 
and  hundreds  of  people,  and  desolated  acres  of  ground, 
did  all  this  damage  in  six  hours,  being  entirely  quenched 
by  seven  in  the  evening. 

Friday , October  2^rd. — We  were  off  by  the  9.30  a.m. 
steamer  down  the  Bosphorus,  to  see  the  Sultan  go  to  the 


Palace  of  Dolmabagtcheh. 


mosque,  which  he  does  every  Friday  at  twelve  o’clock. 
From  fear  of  assassination  he  never  makes  up  his  mind 
before  the  moment  of  starting  to  which  mosque  he  will  go, 
or  whether  by  land  or  sea,  in  a carriage  or  on  horseback. 
Everything  is  therefore  prepared  and  waiting  for  him  both 
ashore  and  afloat,  and  the  only  chance  of  seeing  the  land  or 
water  procession  is  to  station  oneself  in  an  open  carriage 
outside  the  palace  gates,  having  a caTque  in  readiness,  and 
wait  and  see  what  turns  up.  This  we  did.  There  was  no 


SULTAN’S  PROCESSION  BY  LAND . 


6 7 


crowd,  we  had  not  long  to  wait,  and  it  was  delicious  sitting 
in  the  shade  of  the  avenue  of  bella-sombras , planted  all 
round  the  Palace  of  Dolmabagtcheh,  where  the  Sultan  is 
now  living.  There  were  a great  many  smartly  dressed 
troops  about,  magnificently  caparisoned  horses  being  led 
up  and  down,  and  officers  on  horseback  and  carriages  wait- 
ing in  all  directions.  Precisely  at  twelve  the  bugle  sounded, 
and  all  the  troops  mounted  ; the  fat  pashas  (dressed  in  light 
blue  and  gold,  their  horses  having  scarlet,  white,  and  gold 
trappings)  scrambled  or  were  pushed  up  into  their  saddles, 
and  everybody  stood  at  attention.  Immediately  after,  the 
Sultan’s  eldest  son,  a very  ugly  young  man  of  about  seven- 
teen, gorgeous  in  purple  and  gold,  his  housings  stiff  with 
gold  and  precious  stones,  rode  out,  surrounded  by  a retinue 
of  about  forty  gaily  dressed  officers  on  foot,  and  waited  to 
salute  his  father.  Then  came  the  grand  vizier,  in  almost 
equal  state,  followed  by  all  the  ministers,  quite  as  gorgeous, 
but  without  so  many  attendants.  At  last  the  Sultan  him- 
self appeared,  in  a sort  of  undress  uniform,  with  a flowing 
cloak  over  it,  and  with  two  or  three  large  diamond  stars 
on  his  breast.  He  was  mounted  on  a superb  white  Arab 
charger,  thirty-three  years  old,  whose  saddle-cloths  and 
trappings  blazed  with  gold  and  diamonds.  He  looked 
neither  to  right  nor  to  left,  and  seemed  to  take  no  notice  of 
the  saluting  and  cheering.  He  is  a fine  intelligent-looking 
man  of  about  forty-four,  but  looks  nearer  seventy,  and  has 
become  terribly  grey  since  we  saw  him  in  Paris  in  1867. 
The  following  of  officers  on  foot  was  enormous  ; and  then 
came  two  hundred  of  the  fat  blue  and  gold  pashas,  with 
their  white  horses  and  brilliant  trappings,  the  rear  being 
brought  up  by  some  troops  and  a few  carriages.  The  streets 


68 


HABITS  OF  THE  SULTAN. 


were  all  lined  with  soldiers,  and  different  bands,  about  a 
hundred  yards  apart,  took  up  the  Turkish  National  Hymn 
as  he  passed. 

We  did  not  stay  to  see  him  come  back,  for  he  is  as 
capricious  in  his  prayers  as  in  most  other  things,  and 
might  stay,  we  were  told,  half  an  hour  or  two  hours  and  a 
half.  They  say  he  is  quite  mad,  but  he  is  sufficiently  sane 
to  be  able  to  conceal  it  from  strangers,  and  to  talk  with 
considerable  intelligence.  When  he  first  came  to  the  throne 
he  was  a very  fine  young  man,  and  used  to  hunt  and  shoot. 
Now  his  chief  amusements  are  cock-fighting,  backgammon, 
and  slicing  off,  with  a sword,  the  heads  of  some  unfortunate 
turkeys  specially  kept  in  a yard  for  his  entertainment.  His 
isolated  life  and  his  over-eating  have  reduced  him  to  his 
present  melancholy  state.  Nobody  dares  address  him, 
even  if  he  speaks  to  them,  except  in  monosyllables,  with 
their  foreheads  almost  touching  the  floor,  the  only  exception 
being  the  grand  vizier,  who  dares  not  look  up,  but  stands 
almost  bent  double.  The  Sultan  is  entirely  governed  by 
his  mother,  who,  having  been  a slave  of  the  very  lowest 
description,  to  whom  his  father  Mahmoud  II.  took  a fancy  as 
she  was  carrying  wood  to  the  bath,  is  naturally  bigoted  and 
ignorant,  and  tries  to  suppress  all  progress  and  improve- 
ment of  every  kind,  and  to  immure  the  unfortunate  women 
more  tightly  than  ever.  But  the  time  is  past  for  that,  and 
before  many  years  are  over  there  will  be  a great  revolution 
in  manners  and  customs  here.  The  thin  end  of  the  wedge 
is  in  already,  and  in  spite  of  the  Sultan  Valideh’s  edicts 
the  yashmaks  get  thinner  and  thinner  every  day,  till  in 
many  cases  they  are  little  more  than  a tulle  veil.  The 
broughams  containing  the  ladies  from  the  harems  draw  up 


LADIES  OF  HIS  HAREM. 


69 


by  the  mosques  of  Bymzel  at  Mashleck,  or  the  gardens  at 
Chumleyjah,  the  negroes  and  eunuchs  discreetly  turn  their 
backs,  and  a good  deal  of  flirting  and  sign-making  goes  on. 

There  were  some  public  gardens  opened  the  other  day, 
to  which  the  Turkish  ladies  went  with  their  husbands. 
This  was  speedily  stopped  by  imperial  edict.  Then  the 
gentlemen  went  inside  the  gardens,  the  ladies  being  left  in 
their  broughams  in  crowds  outside.  The  coachmen,  being 
well  bribed  no  doubt,  conspired  together  and  got  all  their 
carriages  into  such  confusion  that,  in  spite  of  all  the  efforts 
of  the  police  and  soldiers  sent  on  purpose  to  keep  them 
moving,  it  was  impossible  to  extricate  them  for  more  than 
an  hour.  This  was  repeated  several  times,  till  at  last 
troops  were  sent  in  sufficient  numbers  to  occupy  the 
ground,  to  prevent  the  carriages  going  at  all.  The  grand 
vizier  or  the  ministers  tell  their  favourite  wives  what  they 
want  done,  and  they  go  to  the  Sultan  Valideh  and  try  to 
persuade  her,  and  she,  if  she  approves,  goes  to  the  Sultan  ; 
and  that  is  how  things  are  managed  in  Turkey. 

One  of  the  Sultan’s  manias  is  a dread  of  fire.  He  has  had 
acres  of  houses  pulled  down,  and  an  enormous  new  palace 
built  further  out  of  the  town,  nor  will  he  allow  a single 
article  of  wood  inside  the  palace.  Even  the  wooden  fez- 
pegs  have  been  turned  out.  All  the  flat  candlesticks  must 
be  surrounded  by  a saucer  of  water.  He  had  two  of  the 
sultanas  bowstrung  the  other  day  for  transgressing  this 
rule,  and  half  murdered  the  wife  of  one  of  his  colonels  for 
the  same  offence.  He  knocked  her  down,  and  beat  and 
trampled  on  her,  so  that  the  poor  woman  was  ill  for  days 
after.  One  night,  not  long  ago,  he  escaped  from  the  palace 
in  his  night-shirt,  and  got  into  a common  cab.  He  was 


70 


THE  SULTAN’S  MEALS. 


immediately  pursued  by  some  faithful  attendants  carrying 
his  clothes,  but  it  was  with  great  difficulty  that  he  could  be 
persuaded  to  put  them  on  and  return.  It  is  not  wonderful 
that  he  should  occasionally  suffer  from  nightmare,  for  though 
he  neither  drinks,  nor  smokes,  nor  takes  coffee,  he  eats  eleven 
times  a day  an  enormous  meal.  There  are  always  ninety- 
four  dishes  prepared  from  which  he  may  make  his  choice. 


Yacht's  Deckhouse. 


Whatever  he  selects  is  carefully  sealed  up  in  the  kitchen  by 
the  Sultan’s  mother  herself,  the  seals  are  broken  only  in 
his  presence,  some  one  tastes  every  dish  before  him,  and 
he  drinks  water  out  of  a prepared  goblet,  which  poison 
would  discolour  or  break.  He  is  very  anxious  to  change 
the  order  of  succession,  and  make  his  own  .son  the  next 
heir,  instead  of  being  succeeded  by  the  eldest  male  of  the 


FEAR  OF  POISON. 


7 1 

family  of  Osman  ; but  as  this  is  opposed  to  Mohammedan 
custom  1 generally,  I do  not  think  he  is  likely  to  succeed. 

The  unfortunate  nephews,  of  whom  there  are  four,  the 
eldest  thirty-four  years  old,  are  kept  all  together  in  a large 
palace,  and  have  all  their  meals  sent  from  the  Sultan’s 
kitchen.  So  afraid  are  they,  however,  of  being  poisoned,  that 
they  never  eat  them,  but  have  an  old  woman  to  cook  for 
them  privately.  They  are  allowed  to  go  out  in  the  daytime 
on  the  Bosphorus,  with  a strong  guard.  They  have  surrep- 
titiously learned  to  play  the  piano  and  read  French  news- 
papers and  novels,  two  things  of  which  the  Sultan  would 
highly  disapprove ; and  I fancy  that  if  ever  they  should 
come  to  the  throne  they  will  be  found  to  be  very  advanced 
young  Turks  indeed.  Everything  is  kept  from  the  know- 
ledge of  the  Sultan  which  would  be  likely  to  displease  him, 
for  he  would  either  publicly  disgrace  his  informant,  or,  if 
the  intelligence  were  very  disagreeable  indeed,  have  him 
bowstrung.  The  consequence  is  that  no  one  has  yet  dared 
to  tell  him.  of  the  famine  in  Asia  Minor,  and  he  is  in  perfect 
ignorance  of  that  fact. 

The  Sultan  is  not  allowed  to  marry,  but  the  slaves  who 
become  mothers  of  his  children  are  called  sultanas,  and  not 
allowed  to  do  any  more  work.  They  have  also  a separate 
suite  of  apartments,  a retinue  of  servants,  besides  carriages 
and  horses ; and  each  hopes  some  day  to  be  the  mother 
of  the  future  sultan,  and  therefore  the  most  prominent 
woman  in  Turkey.  The  sultanas  may  not  sit  at  table  with 
their  own  children,  on  account  of  their  having  been  slaves, 
whilst  the  children  are  princes  and  princesses  in  right  of 

1 That  the  eldest  male  of  the  house  of  Osman  should  always  occupy  the 
throne. 


72 


ROYAL  MARRIAGES. 


their  father  ; and  they  do  not  receive  the  wives  of  the 
ministers  for  the  same  reason.  The  princesses  may  see 
men,  and  choose  whom  they  like  for  their  husbands.  If 
they  fix  their  affections  on  a married  man,  he  is  obliged  to1 
get  rid  of  his  wife  or  wives,  and  is  not  allowed  any  wife 
but  the  princess,  who  keeps  him  in  the  strictest  order,  and 
either  disgraces  him  or  has  him  bowstrung  should  he  offend 
her  seriously.  Still,  in  spite  of  all  these  drawbacks,  it  is 
considered  a great  honour  and  advantage  to  marry  a prin- 
cess. I suppose  that  the  marriage  brings  much  patronage 
in  its  train. 

Turkish  time  is  extremely  puzzling,  for  it  changes  every 
day.  What  is  with  us  twelve  o’clock  of  the  night — that  is, 
the  close  of  one  day  and  the  beginning  of  the  next — is 
with  the  Turks  the  moment  of  sunset.  Consequently  there 
is  a daily  alteration  of  a few  minutes,  and  this  makes  it 
extremely  difficult  to  keep  your  watch  right,  and  not  to  be 
too  late  or  too  early  for  everything.  No  two  clocks  or 
watches  in  the  whole  town  are,  I believe,  exactly  alike. 
The  consequence  was  that  on  this  particular  day  we  were 
three-quarters  of  an  hour  too  soon  for  our  boat,  and  had 
to  amuse  ourselves  by  watching  the  motley  crowd.  These 
boats  are  excellent,  and  are  capitally  steered  and  handled. 
Part  of  the  stern  is  shut  off  for  the  Turkish  ladies,  and  there 
they  are  penned  up  like  sheep.  They  amuse  themselves  with 
eating  sweets  and  drinking  coffee  and  eau  sucree  (when  it 
is  not  Ramazan) ; and  the  waiter  on  board  seemed  much 
astonished  that  we  did  not  take  advantage  of  our  liberty 
as  Christians,  and  eat  large  lumps  of  rahatlakoum  and 
sweet  cakes,  and  drink  eau  sucre'e  all  the  time. 

Soon  after  we  reached  the  yacht,  the  British  ambassador 


THE  GIANT’S  MOUNTAIN. 


73 


and  Lady  Elliot,  Count  Pisani,  and  many  other  people 
came  on  board  to  see  us  and  the  yacht. 

Saturday , October  24 th. — Tom  and  I went  ashore,  paid 
some  visits,  saw  the  beautiful  gardens  and  vines,  and 
brought  off  handfuls  of  lovely  flowers.  About  noon  we 
started  in  the  gig,  and  rowed  across  to  Beikos,  taking  our 
lunch  with  us.  We  landed  in  the  village,  and,  passing 
through,  picnicked  on  a green  sward,  by  the  side  of  a 
stream,  under  the  shade  of  some  plane-trees,  close  to  the 
Sultan’s  palace.  After  lunch,  Evie  and  I mounted  our 
horses,  while  the  gentlemen  walked  to  the  top  of  the 
Giant’s  Mountain.  It  was  a lovely  ride,  through  green 
parklike  pastures,  and,  as  we  climbed  higher  and  higher, 
there  were  lovely  peeps  through  the  trees  over  the  Bosphorus. 
When  the  shoulder  of  the  mountain  had  been  rounded,  we 
could  see  right  over  to  the  Black  Sea.  At  the  summit  of 
the  hill  is  the  tomb  of  a dervish,  called  here  Joshua’s  Tomb. 
It  is  held  very  sacred,  and  the  railings  round  it  are  covered 
with  tiny  bits  of  rag,  hung  there  by  the  superstitious  as  a 
sure  preventive  against  fever  and  ills  of  every  kind.  The 
view  from  the  top  is  splendid,  but  after  a short  rest  and  a 
cup  of  coffee  we  were  obliged  to  leave,  so  as  to  reach  the 
boat  before  sunset.  The  mountain  does  not  enjoy  a good 
reputation,  and  we  had  been  warned  to  take  our  revol- 
vers and  an  extra  man  or  two  with  us  from  the  yacht.  In 
spite  of  these  precautions,  however,  we  thought  it  better  to 
be  on  the  safe  side  and  return  by  daylight,  for  only  a few 
months  ago  one  of  the  attaches  at  the  Austrian  Embassy, 
and  his  wife  and  daughter,  having  stayed  on  the  mountain 
after  dark,  were  attacked  and  cruelly  maltreated  by  some 
Turkish  soldiers. 


74 


ARRANGEMENTS  FOR  BUCHAREST 


On  our  return  to  the  yacht,  we  found  a letter  from  the 
Princess  of  Roumania,  expressing  much  surprise  that  we 
had  not  already  arrived,  and  begging  us  to  be  at  Bucharest 
to-morrow  for  some  special  festivities.  This  was,  of  course, 
impossible  ; and  as  it  appears  our  telegram  could  not  have 
been  received,  we  sent  another,  saying  we  would  start  on 
Monday  in  the  yacht  for  Kustendje,  instead  of  waiting  for 
the  steamer  to  Varna  on  Tuesday.  The  Danube  is  so  low 
this  year,  that  it  is  impossible  for  us  to  take  the  yacht  up  to 
Galatz,  as  we  had  first  intended,  there  being  only  eleven  feet 
in  the  mouth  of  the  river  at  Sulina,  while  we  draw  thirteen. 

A pleasant  evening  on  deck,  though  the  weather  looked 
as  if  it  might  change. 

At  midnight  we  were  awakened  by  a tremendous  gale 
blowing,  and  by  morning  the  whole  of  the  narrow  channel, 
generally  so  calm,  blue,  and  peaceful,  was  covered  with 
curling  waves,  foam,  and  spray,  and  torrents  of  rain  were 
falling. 


Turkisn  Lady, 


CHAPTER  VI. 


THE  BLACK  SEA,  SKUTARI,  BROUSSA,  HAREMS. 

By  foreign  hands  thy  dying  eyes  were  closed , 

By  foreign  hands  thy  decent  limbs  composed, 

By  foreign  hands  thy  humble  grave  adorn'd, 

By  strangers  honour'd,  and  by  strangers  mourn'd. 

Sunday , October  25  th. — The  weather  was  so  bad  that 
we  could  not  go  to  church  on  the  ‘ Antelope/  as  we  had 
intended.  After  lunch  we  saw  the  ambassador  and  all  his 
family  go  on  board  ; we  exchanged  salutes,  and  the  ‘ Ante- 
lope 5 steamed  past  us  on  her  way  to  Salonica,  with  her 
party,  for  a few  days’  shooting.  At  3 p.m.  we  started  for  a 
drive  past  Buyukdere  to  the  forest  of  Belgrade,  a lovely 
drive.  We  passed  under  the  aqueduct  which  supplies  all 
Pera  and  Galata  with  water,  and  then  stopped  at  Bagtcheh 
Keui,  where  are  the  bends  or  reservoirs  which  collect  all  the 
water.  They  are  merely  walled-up  valleys,  into  which  all  the 
water  from  the  surrounding  country  drains,  and  is  then  let 
out  through  pipes  into  the  aqueduct.  At  the  top  of  one 
wall  there  is  a beautiful  marble  terrace  with  iron  railings, 
and  indeed  the  whole  scene  would  have  been  lovely  had 
not  the  water  been  so  low. 

From  Bagtcheh  Keui  we  drove  past  a very  large  en- 
campment of  Hungarian  gipsies  to  the  village  of  Belgrade, 
and  then  on  to  the  heart  of  the  forest,1  a most  lovely 
place — a river  running  for  miles  through  a green  parklike 

1 The  Russians,  who  were  encamped  here  in  1878,  used  many  of  the  finest 
trees  for  firewood. 


;6 


THE  BLACK  SEA. 


sward,  under  magnificent  plane  and  oak  trees,  surrounded 
by  hills  covered  with  beech,  chestnut,  and  fir  woods.  On 
a fine  day  this  spot  is  generally  crowded  with  people,  and 
even  under  the  most  unfavourable  circumstances  it  must  be 
always  lovely.  The  rain,  which  had  held  up  a little  bit, 
now  came  down  in  torrents,  and  our  drive  back  was  very 
wet.  The  wind  increased,  and  it  was  soon  blowing  a hur- 
ricane. Some  guests  came  to  dinner,  but  it  was  such  a 
frightful  night  that  we  hardly  liked  sending  them  ashore, 
even  in  our  big  cutter : however,  they  insisted,  and  ultimately 
reached  the  shore  safely. 

Monday , October  2 6th. — It  was  blowing  as  hard  as  ever, 
but  we  hoped  it  might  moderate  by  evening,  and  determined 
to  start  at  night  for  Kustendje.  So  we  sent  the  steward 
into  Constantinople  to  get  provisions,  that  we  might  be  all 
prepared.  About  i p.m.,  however,  we  received  a telegram 
from  the  Princess  of  Roumania,  saying  that  they  had  been 
expecting  us  with  impatience  for  days,  that  the  Prince  was 
so  ill  after  the  military  manoeuvres  that  he  was  obliged  to 
go  away  for  a change  of  air  at  once,  and  that  with  much 
regret  they  must  ask  us  to  postpone  our  visit.  The  first 
part  was  puzzling,  the  latter  disappointing,  as  we  should 
have  liked  to  see  them  again  ; but  nothing  could  be  done 
beyond  sending  a telegram  to  say  how  very  sorry  we 
were  to  lose  the  pleasure  of  our  visit.  As  the  fires  were 
already  lighted,  we  proceeded  to  get  up  steam  and  go  up 
the  Bosphorus  into  the  Black  Sea,  just  to  see  what  it 
was  like  ; but  we  had  quite  enough  of  it  in  a very  few 
minutes.  The  swell  was  rolling  in  horribly,  and  when  we 
turned  our  head  to  go  towards  Constantinople  instead  of 
Kustendje,  and  were  broadside  to  it,  more  things  v/ere 


FUND  UK  LI. 


77 


carried  away  than  had  been  lost  all  the  way  from  England. 
We  steamed  down  the  Bosphorus  in  a thick  mist  and  heavy 
gale,  and  dropped  our  anchor  with  considerable  difficulty, 
so  crowded  were  the  straits,  among  the  men-of-war  at 
Fundukli.1  The  steward  was  on  shore,  and  as  we  had  no 
provisions  on  board,  we  were  obliged  to  land,  late  as  it 
was,  in  the  pouring  rain  and  strong  wind,  to  dine  at 
Misseri’s. 

Tuesday , October  27th. — A high  wind  again,  but  we  went 


Dancing  Dervishes. 


on  shore  to  a curious  mosque  in  Pera,  to  see  the  dancing 
dervishes.  Our  seats  were  in  a gallery  next  to  those  re- 
served for  the  harem.  In  course  of  time  the  dervishes 
appeared,  and  after  an  interval  devoted  to  monotonous 
prayers  and  gesticulations  to  the  high  priest,  seated  in  the 
centre,  they  divested  themselves  of  their  shoes  and  outer 

1 Fondook  means  a large  nut  ; Dolmabagtcheh,  which  is  close  by,  a hazel- 
grove.  Probably,  therefore,  a large  number  of  nut-trees  were  cut  down  when 
these  suburbs  of  the  palace  were  built. 


78 


A SULTAN’S  CAPRICE. 


garments,  and  walked  solemnly  round  three  times,  headed 
by  the  high  priest,  bowing  gracefully  to  each  other  as 
they  passed  the  sort  of  altar  where  the  sacred  copy  of 
the  Koran  is  kept.  Then  they  all  started  off  twirling 
round  and  round,  each  keeping  in  his  own  orbit  and  never 
touching  the  other.  It  certainly  was  a most  curious,  not 
to  say  ridiculous,  sight  to  see  all  these  tall  men  in  long 
white  full  petticoats,  with  high  light-brown  conical  felt 
hats  on  their  heads,  spinning  round  and  round  with 
their  arms  over  their  heads,  exactly  like  so  many  huge 
extinguishers. 

After  lunch  at  Misseri’s  we  spent  the  afternoon  at  the 
bazaars  and  in  the  court-yard  of  the  Pigeon  Mosque,  which 
was  more  crowded  than  ever.  We  were  rather  alarmed 
to-day  at  hearing  that  the  Sultan  had  taken  a great  fancy 
to  the  yacht,  and  was  anxious  to  possess  her.  As  his  every 
whim  must  be  gratified,  if  the  report  were  true,  there  were 
only  three  courses  open  to  us  : the  first,  to  refuse  to  sell 
her,  which  would  occasion  the  instant  dismissal  of  the 
grand  vizier  and  a general  change  of  the  ministry  ; the 
second,  to  sell  her  at  considerable  personal  inconvenience,, 
but  of  course  at  a profit  ; the  third,  to  steam  away  in  the 
dead  of  night  and  leave  the  Sultan  to  lament  our  departure 
a*nd  bemoan  the  loss  of  his  new  toy,  while  he  would  have 
nobody  in  particular  to  blame. 

Wednesday , October  2 8th. — To-day  we  paid  visits  to 
some  harems.  The  two  nieces  of  the  Viceroy  of  Egypt, 
Princess  Nazli  and  Princess  Azizieh,  on  whom  we  first 
called,  were  at  their  farm  in  the  country.  Madame  Ikbal 
Kiasim,  daughter-in-law  of  Fuad  Pasha  (the  greatest  states- 
man Turkey  ever  had),  after  keeping  us  waiting  some  time. 


VISITS  TO  THE  HAREMS. 


79 


sent  first  a slave  and  then  a French  dame  de  compagnie  to 
tell  us  she  was  in  her  bath,  and  was  therefore  very  sorry 
she  could  not  receive  us. 

At  Madame  Hilmeh  Bey’s  (granddaughter  of  Fuad 
Pasha)  we  were  more  fortunate.  She  was  at  home,  and 
received  us  in  a French  robe  de  matinee , a blue  cashmere 
beautifully  embroidered  with  wreaths  of  roses,  crepe  lisse 
ruffs  and  frills,  a pile  of  dyed  golden  hair  (naturally 
black)  rolled  and  twisted  and  curled  in  the  latest  fashion. 
She  laid  down  a French  novel  to  rise  and  greet  us — rather 
a contrast  to  the  last  harem  I had  been  in  at  Tunis.  All 
the  women  of  the  higher  classes  of  the  present  generation 
are  tolerably  educated,  have  European  governesses,  and 
read  European  books — principally  novels,  I fancy—  and  all 
bemoan  their  present  hard  fate  very  much.  It  is  a great 
mistake  of  the  Turks  to  think  that  they  can  educate  their 
wives  and  daughters,  and  still  keep  them  in  confinement 
and  subjection.  To  hear  this  poor  little  woman  talk  of 
her  own  and  her  lady-friends’  feelings,  you  would  think  the 
revolution  must  soon  come.  The  children  of  the  present  day 
in  Turkey  are  brought  up  to  think  the  system  of  yashmaks 
and  confinement  a most  tyrannical  custom,  and  not  to  be 
endured.  Still  I am  afraid  education  does  not  prevent  their 
using  the  cowhide  frequently  and  very  cruelly  on  their  slaves. 
During  our  visit  to-day  two  slaves,  attired  in  semi-English 
semi-Turkish  dress,  brought  us  in  first  some  sweetmeats 
and  a glass  of  water  each,  and  afterwards  a cup  of  coffee. 
Our  hostess  apologised  for  not  sharing  it  with  us,  owing  to 
its  being  Ramazan.  After  dinner  at  Misseri’s,  we  went  to 
the  Turkish  theatre,  where  we  saw  what  appeared  to  be  a 
very  amusing  piece,  though  of  course  we  could  not  under- 


8o 


TURKISH  MINISTERS. 


stand  a word.  The  dresses  were  all  Turkish,  the  actresses 
all  Armenians.  Ten  years  ago  the  Armenian  women  were 
veiled  as  carefully  as  the  Turkish  women,  and  it  was  diffi- 
cult to  tell  them  apart.  Now  it  is  equally  difficult  to  tell 
the  former  from  Europeans,  either  in  dress  or  manners. 

Thursday , October  29 th. — Tom  started  early  with  Mr. 
Foster  to  call  on  the  grand  vizier  and  several  of  the 
ministers  by  appointment.  He  had  rather  an  interesting 
morning.  They  all  received  him  very  kindly,  and  talked 
a good  deal,  either  in  French  or  through  a dragoman. 
As  it  was  Ramazan,  the  usual  pipes  and  coffee  were  not 
served.  However,  a friend  assures  us  that  more  than  once 
during  Ramazan  he  has  been  with  one  of  the  ministers 
who,  getting  tired  during  a long  interview,  carefully  locked 
all  the  doors,  opened  the  windows,  and  lighted  a cigarette, 
having  enjoyed  which  he  produced  a tiny  brush,  removed 
every  scrap  of  ash,  and  unlocked  the  door. 

The  salary  of  the  grand  vizier  is  thirty  thousand  a year, 
that  of  the  minister  of  finance  fifteen  thousand  ; and  as 
these  officials  are  changed  on  the  slightest  caprice  of  the 
Sultan,  their  great  temptation  is  to  fill  their  own  pockets 
during  the  short  time  they  may  be  in  office. 

Their  elevation  is  equally  curious.  The  last  grand 
vizier  was  a common  chaouch,  or  sergeant  in  a line  regi- 
ment. Another  chaouch  was  presented  with  five  hundred 
pounds  and  made  colonel  of  a regiment,  simply  because 
the  servant  of  a friend  of  ours  happened  to  give  him  a 
pair  of  Aylesbury  goslings,  which  in  time  grew  up  and 
had  a family  of  their  own.  The  Sultan,  who  is  pas- 
sionately fond  of  all  animals,  saw  and  admired  them  at 
the  guard-house,  and  wished  to  buy  them.  The  sergeant 


FAST  OF  RAMAZAN. 


8 1 


refused  to  name  a price,  but  begged  the  Sultan  to  accept 
them,  and  accordingly  was  rewarded  by  promotion.  The 
command  of  one  of  the  largest  ironclads  was  given  to  a 
common  sailor  because  he  had  a very  pretty  cat,  to  which 
he  had  taught  all  sorts  of  tricks.  He  presented  T lo  the 
Sultan,  and  was  told  to  name  his  own  reward.  These  stories 
sound  like  wild  romances,  but  they  are,  I believe,  really 
undoubted  facts.  Tom  was  much  relieved  to  get  away 
without  having  any  proposal  or  offer  made  to  him  for 
the  yacht. 

In  the  meantime  we  went  in  the  gig  to  Skutari,  where 
the  carriage  met  us.  We  drove  through  the  dirty  rough 
streets  of  the  town  to  a mosque,  to  hear  the  howling 
dervishes  ; but 

Just  at  this  season  Ramazani’s  fast 

Through  the  long  day  its  penance  did  maintain. 

They  were,  therefore,  not  howling  on  this  particular  Thurs- 
day as  usual.  I believe  we  did  not  miss  much,  as,  however 
curious  it  may  be,  the  performance  is  not  pleasant  either 
to  see  or  hear.  We  then  drove  on  to  the  Turkish  ceme- 
tery, consisting  of  acres  and  acres  of  cypress  groves,  thickly 
interspersed  with  graves,  some  painted  with  the  gaudiest 
colours,  but  still  picturesque  enough.  The  Orientals  believe 
that  the  aromatic  odour  of  the  cypress  prevents  all  ill 
effects  from  the  burial  of  the  dead,  and  I think  there  must 
be  something  in  it,  as  small  graveyards  are  constantly  met 
with  in  the  midst  of  the  most  crowded  cities,  and,  the 
Europeans  say,  no  disagreeable  consequences  arise  from 
them  ; but  they  are  never  without  the  protecting  cypresses. 
One  of  the  present  Sultan’s  favourite  horses  is  buried  in  the 
midst  of  the  cemetery,  in  perhaps  one  of  the  grandest  tombs. 


G 


32 


A TURKISH  GRAVE  YARD. 


The  Sultan  has  eight  hundred  horses  and  seven  hundred 
women  belonging  to  him,  and  it  is  hard  to  say  which 
are  worse  cared  for,  except  a few  special  favourites. 

From  the  Turkish  cemetery  we  went  past  the  Skutari 
barracks  and  hospital,  the  name  of  which  was  so  familiar 


Turkish.  Cemetery. 


to  English  ears  during  the  Crimean  War,  and  left  the 
carriage  at  the  gate  of  the  English  cemetery,  where  the 
remains  ot  so  many  near  and  dear  to  those  in  England 
rest.  It  was  interesting  to  see,  and  I am  sure  it  would  be 
pleasing  to  those  whose  relatives  are  laid  here  to  know, 
what  a sunny,  peaceful,  well-cared-for  spot  it  is,  in  marked 


THE  ENGLISH  CEMETERY . 


83 


contrast  with  the  desolate,  uncared-for  Turkish  graveyards. 
The  cemetery  occupies  a large  space  in  front  of  the 
hospital,  and  is  shaded  with  trees  and  planted  with  flowers. 
It  lies  on  the  top  of  a precipice,  the  foot  of  which  is  washed 
by  the  Sea  of  Marmora,  and  commands  splendid  views  over 
that  sea,  the  Prince’s  Islands,  the  Golden  Horn,  and  Con- 


Soldiers'  Cemetery  (Skutari). 


stantinople.  After  wandering  about  a long  time,  reading 
the  inscriptions,  and  bringing  away  as  a memento  a tortoise 
which  we  found  crawling  about,  we  drove  back  to  the  town 
and  walked  through  the  streets,  for  the  shaking  was  too 
bad  to  be  endured  a second  time.  Some  of  the  little  shops 
were  rather  interesting,  and  there  was  a good  deal  of  game 
exposed  for  sale — hares,  quails,  woodcock,  snipe,  and 


84 


GRAND  DUKE  OF  OLDENBURG. 


pheasants.  The  latter  are  wild  here,  but  rare  and  dear. 
We  just  caught  the  ferry-boat,  landed  at  Stamboul,  and 
Evie  and  I drove  to  the  bazaar.  We  made  sundry  pur- 
chases for  presents,  and  I bought  a Turkish  lady’s  summer 
cloak,  lined  with  fur,  for  myself.  The  ladies  here  almost 
always  carry  a fur-lined  cloak,  thin  in  summer  and  thick 
in  winter. 

Friday , October  30 th. — It  was  a lovely  morning,  and 
we  were  just  thinking  of  going  ashore,  to  see  the  Sultan 
drive  to  mosque,  when  the  Grand  Duke  of  Oldenburg 
came  on  board  with  his  suite,  saying  he  had  received  a 
message  from  the  Sultan  to  tell  him  he  was  going  by 
water  to  the  mosque  at  Fundukli,  exactly  opposite,  and 
about  fifty  yards  from  where  we  are  lying,  and  that  the 
Sultan  had  suggested  he  should  ask  our  permission  to 
see  the  procession  from  the  yacht,  as  the  best  point  of 
observation.  The  Grand  Duke  is  a pleasant  young  man, 
about  twenty-two,  heir-apparent  to  the  small  duchy  of 
Oldenburg.  He  is  on  his  travels  for  two  years,  with  Colonel 
Philipshorn,  Professor  Lutwig,  and  Captain  Otto  Hervig, 
commanding  the  Prussian  gunboat  in  which  he  is  going 
to  Smyrna  and  the  East.  As  he  is  thinking  of  build- 
ing  a yacht  on  his  return,  he  was  much  interested  in 
inspecting  ours,  and  his  two  hours’  visit  passed  pleasantly 
enough. 

About  twelve  o’clock,  five  caiques  glided  alongside  the 
steps  of  Dolmabagtcheh : the  Sultan  entered  the  first, 
which  was  white,  lined  with  red  velvet  and  gold,  and 
having  a gold  canopy.  The  cushions  were  embroidered 
in  gold  and  precious  stones,  and  facing  those  on  which  the 
Sultan  sat  knelt  two  of  the  chief  ministers,  their  heads 


SULTAN’S  PROCESSION  BY  WATER.  85 

bowed  down  and  their  hands  folded  across  their  breasts, 
in  the  most  abject  attitude.  Behind  stood  the  steers- 
man, gorgeous  in  green  and  gold.  The  front  caique  was 
manned  by  twenty-four  oarsmen,  dressed  in  very  full  white 
shirts  and  trousers,  purple  and  gold  jackets,  and  scarlet 
fezzes,  who,  prior  to  every  stroke,  knelt  down  and  touched 
the  bottom  of  the  boat  with  their  foreheads,  then  rose  to 
a standing  posture,  and  sent  the  oars  in  with  a tremen- 
dous sweep.  The  pace  is  terrific  (they  beat  easily  the 
fastest  steam  launch  afloat),  and  the  exertion  is  equally 


1 

\ 


The  Sultan’s  Caique. 


so  ; for  though  picked  strong  men,  the  rowers  generally 
break  down  at  the  end  of  two  years.  The  whole  effect  is 
one  of  the  prettiest  imaginable,  and  the  boat  looks  almost 
too  good  for  the  use  of  mortal  man. 

The  second  caique,  with  the  Sultan’s  son  on  board,  was 
very  like  the  first,  only  with  a rounded  prow  and  a small 
bird,  instead  of  a sharp  prow  and  a large  bird,  and  with  a 
less  elaborate  canopy.  It  held  only  twenty  rowers,  instead 
of  twenty-four.  The  three  boats  that  followed  were  white 
and  gold,  without  any  canopies,  and  had  only  ten  rowers 


86 


POLITENESS  OF  THE  SULTAN. 


each.  They  contained  the  ministers.  Every  available 
quay  and  spot  near  the  water  was  filled  with  soldiers  and 
bands  ; the  ships  were  all  dressed  with  flags,  and  manned 
yards  and  fired  salutes  as  the  caiques  passed.  Our  men 
were  busy  painting  when  the  Grand  Duke  came  on  board, 
but  we  took  them  off  that  work,  and  got  the  yacht  dressed 
just  in  time,  before  the  Sultan  passed.  When  the  Sultan 
landed,  and  walked  on  a red  carpet  kept  down  with  little 
brass  weights,  he  passed  between  two  rows  of  pashas,  who 
bent  double  as  he  walked  between  them. 

The  Sultan  was  so  pleased  at  the  yacht  being  dressed 
in  his  honour,  that  before  going  into  the  mosque  he  sent 
for  the  minister  of  marine  and  told  him  to  come  on  board 
at  once  and  thank  us  for  the  compliment  we  had  paid  him. 
As  this  minister  spoke  only  Turkish,  Aarif  Pasha,  the 
admiral  commanding  the  ironclads,  who  spoke  a little 
English,  came  instead.  He  was  very  pleasant,  and  spent 
a long  time  examining  the  yacht. 

In  the  afternoon  the  men  resumed  their  painting,  and 
we  went  in  cai'ques  down  the  Golden  Horn  to  the  Sweet 
Waters  of  Europe.  It  was  a pleasant  row  of  about  two 
hours,  the  latter  part  up  a narrow  river  bordered  with 
velvety  turf  and  shaded  by  magnificent  plane-trees.  In 
the  spring  and  summer,  when  the  whole  place  is  crowded 
with  caiques  and  carriages,  and  the  Turkish  ladies  are 
seated  in  groups  under  the  trees  on  their  carpets,  eating 
sweetmeats  and  drinking  coffee,  it  must  indeed  be  a gay 
scene.  At  the  Sultan’s  kiosk  we  got  out  and  walked  to 
the  palace,  a little  higher  up.  The  whole  place  swarmed 
with  peacocks.  There  were  hundreds  of  them  in  every 
direction,  walking  about  the  greensward,  perched  on  the 


PALACE  OF  TCHERAGAN. 


87 


trees,  on  the  walls,  on  the  house-top,  or  running  in  and  out 
of  the  mansion  specially  provided  for  them,  adjoining  the 
palace.  They  are  great  favourites  of  the  Sultan,  and,  as 
such,  are  well  cared  for.  The  carriage  met  us  here,  and 
we  drove  back  to  Constantinople.  Just  as  we  were  start- 
ing up  the  hill,  our  dragoman  asked  us  if  we  had  our 
revolvers.  As  it  so  happened,  we  had  not  thought  it  neces- 
sary to  bring  them  ; but  though  it  had  bec-ome  quite  dark 
before  we  reached  the  town,  we  did  not  meet  with  any 
molestation. 

Saturday , October  31  st. — After  breakfast  we  set  off  in  the 
gig  to  visit  the  new  Palace  of  Tcheragan,  as  Aarif  Pasha 
had  arranged  for  us  to  do.  We  saw  all  over  the  harems, 
consisting  of  hundreds  of  rooms,  with  floors  covered  with 
matting,  distempered  walls,  and  very  elaborate  curtains, 
each  furnished  with  a large  four-post  bed  and  numerous 
divans,  covered  with  splendid  satin  brocades,  all  differing 
in  pattern  from  each  other,  as  well  as  from  the  curtains. 
Only  one  wardrobe,  and  not  a single  chair,  was  to  be  found 
in  the  whole  palace.  However  handsome  their  clothes 
may  be,  the  women  just  lay  them  in  a heap  on  the  floor. 
We  wanted  to  look  at  the  Sultan’s  apartments,  which  are 
the  best  worth  seeing  ; but  unfortunately  he  was  coming 
to  make  a personal  inspection,  so  we  were  obliged  to  retire 
with  our  curiosity  ungratified. 

As  it  seemed  rather  late  to  go  on  to  Beylerbey,  we 
went  on  board  the  flagship  ‘ Osmanlieh,’  to  'return  the  ad- 
miral’s visit.  The  admiral  was  not  on  board,  but  the  cap- 
tain, who  spoke  very  little  English,  and  the  doctor,  who 
spoke  still  less  French,  received  us  most  kindly,  and  enter- 
tained us  in  the  admiral’s  cabin,  with  cigarettes,  coffee, 


88 


MEMORIAL  CHAPEL. 


and  syrups.  At  last  the  brilliant  idea  struck  them  of 
sending  for  the  English  engineer  to  act  as  interpreter, 
and  then  they  showed  us  all  round  the  ship,  which  was  in 
the  most  perfect  order,  and  would  have  done  credit  to 
the  English  navy.  Her  guns,  carriages,  shot,  and  shell, 
were  miracles  of  polish,  and  the  decks  were  exquisitely 
clean.  On  our  departure  the  officers  and  crew  were  mus- 
tered : they  saluted  and  presented  arms,  the  ensign  was. 
dipped,  and  we  were  put  into  our  boat  with  great  cere- 
mony. 

After  lunch  we  went  by  appointment  to  the  studio 
of  Mr.  Chlebowski,  who  is  painting  for  the  Sultan  an 
enormous  picture  of  Mahmoud  the  Second  entering  Con- 
stantinople in  triumph.  This  gentleman  possesses  an 
interesting  portfolio  of  sketches  in  red  ink,  done  by  the 
Sultan  himself,  just  to  indicate  roughly  what  he  wishes  the 
picture  to  be.  Though  in  many  cases  consisting  of  only 
a few  strokes,  they  were  wonderfully  spirited  and  showed 
great  talent,  particularly  the  battle-pieces.  Mr.  Chle- 
bowski has  also  collected  in  Paris,  St.  Petersburg,  and 
Constantinople,  a vast  quantity  of  pictures,  china,  arms, 
jewellery,  stuffs,  curtains,  furniture,  knick-knacks,  all  of 
which  are  arranged  with  exquisite  taste.  We  were  a long 
time  looking  over  them,  and  could  easily  have  spent 
hours  more. 

Sunday , November  1st. — We  attended  service  at  the 
chapel  raised  to  the  memory  of  the  British  officers  who  fell 
in  the  Crimea.  After  church  we  claimed  our  letters,  the 
Varna  mail  having  just  arrived,  and  went  to  lunch  with 
some  friends,  afterwards  driving  with  them  to  see  the 
Valley  of  Sweet  Waters,  and  returning  by  Mashleck,  one 


THE  TELEGRAM  MYSTERY. 


89 


of  the  Sultan’s  farms,  where  he  spends  a good  deal  of  time 
in  the  summer.  It  was  a pretty  drive,  but  a long  one,  and 
we  were  barely  in  time  for  the  table  dhote  at  Misseri’s. 
We  walked  down  to  the  boat  after  dinner,  and,  Felise  being 
with  us,  we  were  accompanied  by  a running  fire  of  barks 
the  whole  way,  each  pack  of  dogs  seeing  us  a certain 
distance  through  their  own  quarter,  and  passing  the  word 
on  to  the  next  pack. 

Among  our  letters  has  been  one  from  the  Princess  of 
Roumania,  explaining  the  telegram  which  had  puzzled  us 
so  much.  Our  telegram  was  sent  on  a Tuesday,  and  in  it 
we  said  that  we  should  start  on  the  next  Tuesday.  They 
interpreted  it  as  meaning  that  we  should  start  on  the 
Tuesday  on  which  the  message  was  sent,  and  accordingly 
made  all  preparations,  arranging  two  special  trains,  and 
setting  everything  in  order  for  our  reception.  As  the  mis- 
take was  not  discovered  for  three  or  four  days,  the  people 
expected  us  at  the  stations,  and  the  post-horses  waited  on 
the  road.  It  is  provoking  to  think  that  they  should  have 
had  so  much  trouble  for  nothing,  whilst  we  have  been  wait- 
ing and  wondering  in  Constantinople  at  not  receiving  any 
answer  to  our  telegram,  and  have  not  liked  to  start  until  it 
arrived. 

Monday , November  2nd. — To  save  the  trouble  of  getting 
up  steam,  a tug,  the  ‘ Sarah  Smart,’  took  us  in  tow  about 
9.30  a.m.,  and  brought  us  through  the  shipping  and  up 
the  stream  towards  Beylerbey.  There  we  hoisted  sail, 
and  glided  down  past  the  ironclads,  exchanging  salutes. 
After  Pera  and  Seraglio  Point  had  been  passed,  the  course 
was  altered,  and  the  vessel’s  head  turned  across  the  Sea  of 
Marmora  towards  Cape  Boz.  It  was  a perfect  day  for  a 


90 


MOUDANIA  PIER. 


sail,  with  a fair  breeze,  and  about  4 p.m.  we  dropped 
our  anchor  just  off  the  town  of  Moudania,  in  twenty-two 
fathoms  of  water,  and  not  three  hundred  yards  from 
the  shore.  It  is  a very  bad  place  to  anchor  in,  and  only 
possible  on  this  one  little  patch,  for  to  right  and  left  of 
us  there  were  sixty  fathoms  of  water.  We  went  on  shore 
at  once,  with  considerable  difficulty,  for  there  was  a very 
heavy  sea  running,  and  the  steps  on  the  pier  were  high, 


Broussa,  from  l’H6tel  de  l’Europe  (Preziosi.) 


old,  and  rickety,  the  handrail  coming  off  when  we  touched 
it.  However,  we  landed  in  safety,  were  received  by  an 
officer  and  seven  very  ragged  soldiers  as  a sort  of  guard 
of  honour,  and  then  proceeded  to  get  the  bill  of  health 
vised  and  to  make  arrangements  for  our  journey  to-morrow. 
The  dirty  and  uninteresting  streets  of  the  town  did  not 
tempt  us  to  remain  long  ashore,  and  as  it  was  now  dark 
we  returned  to  the  yacht.  Re-embarking  was  a great 
business,  the  sea  having  risen  and  the  waves  coming  more 


MISSOLONGHI. 


91 

than  halfway  up  the  very  rotten  steps,  and  dashing  the 
boat  about  in  a most  unpleasant  manner. 

Tuesday , November  3 rd . — At  half-past  eight  we  landed, 
and,  some  riding  and  some  driving,  climbed  up  the  hill, 
through  groves  of  olive  and  mulberry  trees,  for  about  an 
hour,  past  the  pretty  little  Greek  village  of  Missolonghi, 
nestled  in  a hollow  among  trees  and  gardens.  From  the 
guard-house  at  the  top  of  the  hill  there  is  a splendid  view 
over  the  fertile  plain  of  Broussa,  at  our  feet,  stretching 
away  towards  the  distant  range  of  Mount  Olympus.  It 
was  a quick  run  down  to  the  half-way  house,  where  we 
lunched  under  a magnificent  grove  of  oak-trees.  The 
owner  of  the  little  coffee-house  had  some  beautiful  poultry, 
and  some  curious  little  bantams  with  wings  on  their  legs. 
I tried  hard  to  buy  some,  but  as  they  had  only  just  been 
received  as  a draft  from  the  Sultan’s  yard,  it  was  not  pos- 
sible to  come  to  a deal.  One  of  the  gamecocks  had  on  a 
curious  pair  of  laced  silk  stockings,  with  three  steel  spurs 
beside  his  own  on  each  foot. 

After  an  hour  and  a half’s  drive  across  the  plain,  we 
stopped  at  a well,  under  some  plane-trees,  to  water  the 
horses.  All  this  time  we  were  sometimes  alongside  and 
sometimes  crossing  a railway  which  is  being  made  between 
Moudania  and  Broussa.  Another  steep  climb  through 
luxuriant  vegetation,  past  the  old  mineral  baths,  brought  us 
to  the  Hotel  d’Olympe,  just  on  the  outskirts  of  the  town 
of  Broussa,  but  perched  on  a hill  sufficiently  high  to  com- 
mand a lovely  and  extensive  view  over  the  plain.  We 
wandered  through  the  town,  visiting  a silk  manufactory 
owned  by  some  French  people,  who  have  been  settled  here 
seventeen  years,  and  who  came  from  near  Lyons.  It  was 


92 


BROUSSA. 


interesting  to  see  the  Greek  and  Armenian  girls  all  hard 
at  work,  winding  the  silk  off  the  cocoons,  which  are  placed 
in  boiling  water,  the  very  fine  thread  being  led  over  a 
machine  and  wound  off,  generally  without  a single  break 
if  the  water  is  hot  enough.  There  are  three  different  kinds 
and  colours  of  silk — green,  yellow,  and  white — according  to 
the  part  of  the  country  from  which  the  silkworms’  eggs 
come.  We  hardly  reached  the  main  part  of  the  town,  but 
the  streets  were  crowded  with  all  sorts  of  picturesque  cos- 
tumes and  groups.  On  our  return  to  the  hotel  we  found 
there  a large  party  of  foreigners  who  had  arrived  during 
our  absence,  and  soon  after  dinner  we  were  all  glad  to  go 
to  bed. 

Wednesday , November  4th. — After  an  early  breakfast,, 
we  started  to  see  the  town.  First  we  drove  to  the  ancient 
baths,  which  are  splendid,  built  of  marble,  over  some  very 
hot  sulphurous  springs.  Thence  we  went  to  the  bazaars. 
They  are  large,  and  full  of  beautiful  embroideries  and  other 
curious  things,  and  are  much  more  Oriental  in  character 
than  the  greater  part  of  the  Constantinople  bazaars.  No- 
Europeans  come  here,  nor  are  there  so  many  Jews,  and 
the  vendors  sit  with  true  Oriental  indifference  while  cus- 
tomers are  looking  at  their  things,  and  take  any  amount 
of  time  to  settle  a bargain.  We  bought  some  lovely 
embroideries,  and  some  ornaments  made  for  mules,  but 
which  I mean  to  use  to  fasten  back  curtains  with,  besides 
a quantity  of  bags,  pipes,  &c.,  as  presents  for  the  crew  and 
servants. 

Leaving  the  bazaar,  we  peeped  in  at  a splendid  mosque,, 
visited  the  Sultans’  tombs,  which  are  very  handsome,  saw  a 
magnificent  view  from  the  terrace  above  the  town,  and 


BOWSPRIT  CARRIED  AWAY. 


93 


returned  to  the  hotel  to  a late  lunch,  for  which  we  were 
quite  ready.  We  had  meant  to  stay  another  day,  and  to 
ascend  Mount  Olympus  ; but  though  the  weather  was  lovely, 
there  was  a good  deal  of  wind,  and  Tom  got  rather  fidgety 
about  the  yacht,  as  the  anchorage  at  Moudania  is  very  bad. 
He  feared  Powell  might  be  obliged  to  get  up  anchor  and 
go  off,  leaving  us  on  shore,  uncertain  where  to  meet  again, 
and  without  sleeping  accommodation  of  any  kind.  Directly 
after  lunch,  therefore,  we  started  to  drive  down.  Moudania 
was  reached  about  7.30  p.m.,  and  as  the  night  was  dark 
as  pitch  and  the  wind  blowing  hard,  it  was  rather  a 
difficult  job  to  get  ourselves  and  our  luggage  off  from  the 
rickety  old  pier.  We  put  two  anchors  down,  with  sixty 
fathoms  of  chain  on  one  side  and  forty-five  fathoms  on  the 
other,  and  so  rode  out  the  night  in  security. 

Thursday , November  5 th . — At  6 a.m.  we  began  to  get 
up  our  chain,  an  operation  of  immense  labour,  which 
lasted  more  than  two  hours.  We  ceased  to  wonder,  when, 
attached  to  one  of  our  anchors,  a ship’s  chain,  more  than 
a hundred  fathoms  long,  was  raised  to  the  surface.  The 
vessel  to  which  it  had  belonged  had  evidently  been  com- 
pelled by  bad  weather  to  slip  her  cable  suddenly  and  leave 
anchor  and  all  behind.  As  soon  as  we  got  outside  the 
Bay  of  Moudania  we  found  the  Sea  of  Marmora  very  rough, 
with  quite  a heavy  gale  blowing.  One  of  the  hoops  of 
the  stays  supporting  the  bowsprit  gave  way.  The  spar, 
after  bending  as  much  as  its  size  would  allow,  snapped 
with  a mighty  crash,  and  fell  with  the  sail  right  across  the 
foot  of  the  vessel,  so  that  there  was  great  difficulty  in 
getting  it  on  board.  We  spent  a wretched  day,  with- 
out making  much  progress,  and  were  glad  to  anchor  in 


94 


AN  UNSEA  WORTHY  SHIP. 


company  with  many  other  ships  in  the  sheltered  Bay  of 
Silevri  for  the  night 

Friday , November  6th. — We  were  off  by  daybreak, 
and  had  a delightfully  smooth  sail  under  the  lee  of  the 
land  to  Seraglio  Point,  where  we  got  up  steam,  and,  pass- 
ing the  usual  crowd  of  vessels,  took  up  our  old  anchorage 
opposite  Fundukli  about  2 p.m.  In  the  afternoon  we 
landed,  and  went  straight  to  the  bazaars  to  complete  our 
purchases,  but  found  almost  every  shop  shut  up.  Still,  we 
managed  to  get  what  we  wanted. 

Just  before  we  were  going  on  shore  to  dine  with  some 
friends,  a man  who  had  been  in  the  ‘ Eothen/  and  was  a 
friend  of  Rowbotham’s,  came  on  board  with  a most  melan- 
choly story  of  the  unseaworthy  state  of  his  ship,  the 
f Violet/  a steamer  laden  with  grain  in  bulk.  He  was 
chief  engineer  on  board,  reported  her  as  very  leaky  and 
greatly  overladen,  and  said  he  had  just  written  to  his  wife 
to  wish  her  good-bye,  as  he  felt  sure  the  vessel  would  go  to 
the  bottom  before  long.  Finally,  he  implored  Tom,  almost 
on  his  knees,  to  interfere  and  stop  her  going  to  sea,  saying 
that  he  and  his  mates  would  be  for  ever  grateful,  and  would 
pray  for  him  night  and  morning,  if  he  would  only  come  on 
board  and  speak  to  the  captain.  This  he  said  with  tears 
in  his  eyes,  and  with  such  earnestness,  that  Tom  promised 
to  do  all  that  could  be  done  in  the  matter. 

We  had  an  excellent  dinner,  and  a pleasant  party. 
Many  people  dropped  in  afterwards,  and  we  enjoyed 
some  first-rate  music.  Our  friends  have  charming  rooms, 
and,  in  the  winter,  give  dances  every  fortnight.  I give 
the  bill  of  fare,  to  show  that  dinners  in  Constantinople  do 
not  differ  much  from  those  in  London  and  Paris. 


ON  BOARD  THE  ‘ VIOLET: 


95 


DINER  DE  VENDREDI, 

Novembre  6. 

Potage  a la  Reine. 

Petites  Bouchees  a la  Nesle. 

Bar,  sauce  Bisque. 

Croquettes  a la  financiere. 

Noix  de  boeuf  sauce  Malaga. 

Cotelettes  de  becasse  a la  supreme. 

Aspic  de  foie-gras  en  Bellevue. 

Punch,  a la  Romaine. 

Cardons  a la  Moelle. 

Selle  de  Mouton. 

Gateau  a la  Richelieu. 

Mont  blanc  a la  Vanille. 

Tom  had  a long  chat  with  our  consul-general  about  the 
unfortunate  * Violet,’  and  received  full  authority  to  act  in 
the  matter. 

Saturday , November  7///. — This  morning  Mr.  Crake 
arrived  from  Hastings  to  join  us  for  a few  weeks.  He  had 
had  a very  good  passage  in  a comfortable  boat,  one  of  the 
Austrian  Lloyd’s.  Tom  went  on  board  the  ‘ Violet  ’ at  six, 
saw  the  captain,  and  asked  leave  to  muster  and  address  the 
crew.  This  was  at  once  given  to  him,  although  the  captain 
said  it  would  ruin  him  with  the  owner.  When  they  came 
on  deck  Tom  told  them  that  one  of  their  number  had  made 
a complaint  to  him  that  the  ship  was  overladen  and  utterly 
unseaworthy  ; that  he  had  spoken  to  the  British  consul, 
who  was  perfectly  prepared  to  stop  the  ship  going  to  sea, 
if  that  was  the  general  opinion  of  the  crew.  Several  of  the 
crew  said  it  was,  and  that  the  pumps  were  always  going. 
On  this,  the  very  same  engineer  who  had  come  on  board 


96 


THE  ENGINEERS  FALSEHOOD. 


and  complained  to  Tom,  stepped  forward  and  said  she  was 
one  of  the  most  seaworthy  ships  he  had  ever  been  in,  that 
she  was  not  at  all  overladen,  that  he  had  been  to  sea  in  bad 
weather  in  her  when  she  was  twenty-one  inches  lower  in  the 
water  than  at  present,  and  that  he  never  wished  to  go  to 
sea  in  a better  ship.  He  also  tried  to  give  an  elaborate 
explanation  to  his  shipmates  that  the  working  of  the  pumps 
had  to  do  entirely  with  the  engines,  not  with  the  leakage 
of  the  ship.  After  this  there  was  nothing  more  to  be  done, 
though  it  was  excessively  annoying  for  Tom  to  have  taken  all 
this  trouble  for  nothing.  About  ten  the  ‘ Violet  ’ got  under 
way,  and,  having  first  run  foul  of  an  Austrian  steamer, 
steamed  slowly  out  of  the  harbour,  looking  very  low  in  the 
water,  all  on  one  side,  and  with  the  pumps  going  hard.  In 
the  Sea  of  Marmora  she  ran  into  an  Egyptian  steamer,  and 
was  towed  back  to  have  some  trifling  damages  repaired,  and 
to  pay  for  injury  done  to  the  other  vessel.  We  were  told 
afterwards,  on  enquiry  of  Lloyd’s  agents  here,  that  a hundred 
tons  of  cargo  were  taken  out  of  her  in  the  course  of  the  night, 
and  in  the  morning  she  started  again.  This  time  last  year 
a sister  ship  belonging  to  the  same  line,  and  laden  with 
the  same  cargo  (rye  from  Nicolaieff  in  the  Black  Sea),  sailed 
for  Bergen,  in  Norway,  and  was  never  heard  of  again  after 
passing  Chanak-Kalesi. 

We  were  to  have  ridden  round  the  walls  again  ; but  as 
it  was  a pouring  wet  day,  we  wasted  some  time  in  debating 
and  hoping  it  would  clear.  The  expedition  round  the 
walls  had  to  be  abandoned,  and  in  the  afternoon  Evie  and 
I went  to  pay  some  visits  in  the  harems,  having  previously 
sent  notice  of  our  intention,  as  the  Turkish  ladies  like  to 
be  fully  prepared  to  receive  visitors.  We  first  went  to  the 


PRINCESS  AZIZ  I EH. 


97 


Princess  Azizieh’s,  and,  having  passed  through  several 
doors  and  climbed  up  innumerable  stairs,  found  ourselves 
in  her  reception-room,  commanding  a beautiful  view  over 
the  Bosphorus.  The  Princess  received  us  in  an  elaborate 
blue  velvet  toilette  de  matin , trimmed  with  undyed  ostrich 
feathers,  her  hair  being  very  much  frizzed.  She  is  a de- 
cidedly stout  but  pretty  woman,  with  lovely  eyes,  teeth, 
hair,  and  expression.  Soon  after  our  arrival  a long  jasmine 
stick  pipe,  with  a beautiful  amber  mouthpiece,  studded  with 
diamonds,  was  brought  in  by  the  slaves  and  handed  round. 
Sweetmeats  followed  on  a gold  tray,  in  gold  dishes,  thick 
with  large  diamonds  and  rubies,  and  finally  coffee  in  egg- 
shell china  cups,  encased  in  exquisite  gold  filagree  stands, 
pierced  with  holes,  each  hole  filled  with  a large  diamond, 
set  clear  and  swinging,  so  that  the  effect  was  most  brilliant. 
The  Princess  had  a pleasant  little  French  companion, 
Madame  Boyer,  and  she  herself,  for  a Turkish  lady,  talked 
very  well  ; so  the  visit  was  pleasant,  though  a long  one. 
It  is  considered  an  insult  to  your  hostess  to  remain  less 
than  an  hour,  and  we  stayed  longer.  The  Princess  had 
some  of  her  slaves  dressed  up,  that  we  might  see  their 
costumes.  One  little  black  page,  about  nine  years  old,  in 
a gorgeous  Albanian  dress,  stiff  with  gold  lace  and  em- 
broidery, and  a remarkably  full  white  petticoat,  was  very 
droll.  The  Princess  herself  smoked  cigarettes  the  whole 
time,  and  was  interested  about  the  yacht,  which  she  is 
extremely  anxious  to  see.  She  asked  many  questions  con- 
cerning our  manners  and  customs  in  England,  our  travels, 
and  London  and  Paris,  both  of  which  cities  she  is  dying  to 
visit,  though  she  has  very  little  chance  at  present  of  doing 
so,  I fear — poor  thing  ! The  conversation  turned,  as  usual, 


H 


98 


PRINCESS  NAZLI. 


on  the  wrongs  of  the  Turkish  women,  and  the  most 
ardent  longings  for  freedom  and  liberty  were  expressed 
by  all 

Madame  Kiasim  unfortunately  being  again  engaged, 
our  next  visit  was  to  the  Princess  Nazli,  sister  of  the 
Princess  Azizieh,  quite  as  pretty,  perhaps  even  better  edu- 
cated, certainly  more  advanced  in  her  ideas,  and  speaking 
English  as  perfectly  as  her  sister  does  French.  Her 
rooms  are  as  beautifully  fitted  up  in  light  blue  satin  and 
brocade  as  her  sister’s  are  in  the  same  materials  of  a red 
colour.  The  furniture  was  all  French,  and  very  handsome, 
but  here  many  books  and  flowers  might  be  seen,  and  the 
place  had  altogether  a more  European  and  home-like 
look.  The  Princess,  who  wore  a plaid  dressing-gown, 
received  us  kindly.  The  numerous  slaves  were  not  par- 
ticularly well  dressed,  but  the  pipes,  the  sweetmeat  and 
coffee  services  were  resplendent  with  rubies,  diamonds, 
and  precious  stones.  She,  like  her  sister,  smoked  all  the 
time,  and  conversed  pleasantly  and  frankly,  telling  us 
many  details  of  the  interior  of  Turkish  life,  and  of  her 
own  history.  Her  father,  Mustapha  Fazil,  is  only  twenty 
days  younger  than  his  brother  the  Viceroy  of  Egypt,  and 
was  his  heir-apparent  till  the  Sultan  changed  the  order 
of  succession  and  made  it  pass  to  the  Viceroy’s  eldest 
son — a step  which  he  is  anxious  to  take  in  his  own  case, 
but  which,  I should  think,  would  never  be  allowed  by  the 
Mussulmans.  Princess  Nazli,  who  is  a grand-daughter  of 
Mehemet  Ali,  was  engaged  to  her  cousin,  the  heir-apparent, 
and  all  her  trousseau  was  prepared,  when  the  Viceroy  was 
seized  with  a sudden  fear  of  being  poisoned  if  surrounded 
by  too  many  near  relations  ; so  the  match  was  broken  off, 


PRECEPTS  OF  THE  HORAN. 


99 


and  she  was  engaged  to  Halil  Pasha,  who,  when  his  father 
died,  is  said  to  have  had  two  millions  and  a half  sterling 
left  him  in  gold,  packed  in  boxes.  He  went  to  Paris,  spent 
a million  and  a half  in  that  most  fascinating  of  cities,  then 
returned,  married  the  Princess,  and  settled  down  to  spend 
the  remaining  million. 

Izzet  Bey,  who  married  the  sister,  seems  much  nicer, 
though  he  is  not  so  rich.  He  is  the  son  of  a most  charm- 
ing mother,  a Circassian  slave,  who  was  brought  up  and 
educated  by  Fuad  Pasha,  and  was  ultimately  chosen  by  him 
to  become  his  son’s  wife.  Fuad  Pasha  accompanied  the 
Sultan  to  England  and  Paris  in  1867.  Among  many  other 
reforms,  he  wished  to  bring  about  the  freedom  of  women. 
He  even  said,  in  a memorable  speech  on  a public  occasion, 
that  Turkey  would  never  take  its  proper  place  till  the 
walls  between  the  Selemlek  (or  men’s  apartments)  and  the 
harem  were  broken  down,  and  the  softening  and  purifying 
influence  of  women  was  allowed  to  be  felt.  Consequently 
his  relations,  the  ladies  of  the  harems  I have  visited  to-day, 
are  allowed  more  liberty  than  any  others  in  Turkey. 

One  of  my  hostesses,  talking  about  things  in  general, 
said,  ‘ How  odd  it  must  be  to  you  Europeans  to  hear  us  talk 
about  our  brothers  and  sisters  and  their  mothers,  for  there 
are  just  as  many  of  one  as  of  the  other  ; ’ and  then,  speaking 
of  religion,  she  said,  ‘ I have  read  the  Koran  straight 
through  thirty  times  in  the  original  Arabic,  and  many  ex- 
positions. The  priests  try  and  teach  us  to  believe  that  there 
is  one  God,  neither  man  nor  woman,  but  a spirit,  and  that 
Mahomet  is  His  prophet.  But  how  are  we  to  believe  that, 
when  everything  is  for  man,  and  nothing  for  woman  ? A 
good  God  could  not  be  so  unjust.  He  must  be  all  man, 


H 2 


lOO 


WOMEN’S  RIGHTS  IN  TURKEY . 


and  a bad  Turk  too.  We  are  told  that  we  must  kneel  to 
our  husbands  and  kiss  their  hands.  If  they  kiss  ours  (as 
mine  always  does,  he  having  lived  in  western  Europe),  their 
lips  will  be  burnt,  and  our  hands  also,  with  the  most  hor- 
rible torture.  We  are  to  walk,  even  when  weak  and 
suffering,  while  they  ride  ; and  we  must  carry  their  parcels 
too.  It  can’t  be  right.  As  I don’t  believe  that,  how  am  I 
to  believe  anything  ? ’ It  was  a difficult  argument  to  answer, 
and  I think  she  was  only  expressing  the  opinion  of  many 
of  her  sex  in  Turkey  who  have  had  any  education.  This 
discontent  will  assuredly  bring  about  a revolution,  in 
spite  of  the  special  services  for  women  in  the  mosques 
and  the  special  preachers  to  address  them  on  the  duty  of 
subjection.  Another  lady  amused  me  greatly  by  saying, 
‘ Though  my  husband  is  not  so  very  particular  himself,  I 
don’t  believe  he  will  ever  do  anything  to  emancipate  us,  or 
get  us  places  at  the  theatre.  They  are  all  alike — such 
Turks  ! — and  are  too  glad  of  an  excuse  to  go  out  alone 
and  enjoy  themselves/ 


CHAPTER  VII. 

VISITS  FROM  TURKISH  LADIES.  FEAST  OF  BAIRAM. 

WALLS  AND  PALACES  OF  CONSTANTINOPLE. 

Here  woman  s voice  is  never  heard  : apart , 

And  scarce  permitted,  guarded,  veil'd,  to  move. 

Sunday , November  8th. — Our  experiences  of  last  Sunday 
had  not  inclined  us  to  make  another  attempt  at  church. 
We  therefore  had  service  on  board,  and  afterwards  went  to 
look  at  Mr.  Preziosi’s  sketches.  He  is  an  artist  who  has 
lived  here  for  many  years,  and  some  of  his  costume  pieces 
and  landscapes  are  beautiful.  We  had  a large  and  un- 
expected party  to  lunch.  Having  asked  a few  friends, 
several  others  dropped  in,  amongst  them  Mr.  Chlebowski, 
the'Polish  artist. 

Monday , November  gth. — A wet  morning,  but  we  had 
an  early  breakfast  and  were  off  to  the  bazaars,  which  are 
all  under  cover,  though  very  dark  and  muddy.  We  spent 
a long  time  there  and  made  a good  many  purchases.  This 
being  the  last  day  of  Ramazan,  the  traders  were  all  so 
anxious  to  get  money  to  spend  at  the  Feast  of  Bairam  that 
there  were  wonderful  bargains  to  be  obtained,  and  the 
things  were  much  cheaper  than  when  we  were  here  last. 
The  Pigeon  Mosque  was  more  crowded  than  ever  with 
stalls,  and  our  wanderings  took  up  so  much  time,  that  I 


102 


TURKISH  PRINCESSES  ON  BOARD. 


was  obliged  to  go  straight  on  board  to  receive  some 
Turkish  ladies.  Izzet  Bey,  grandson  of  Fuad  Pasha,  and 
husband  of  the  Princess  Azizieh,  came  first,  and  stayed 
to  receive  his  mother,  Madame  Kiasim,  a wonderfully 
handsome  young-looking  woman,  about  forty-five,  but  not 
appearing  thirty.  In  the  cabin,  when,  with  doors  closed,  she 
took  off  her  feridjee  and  yashmak,  she  looked  exactly  like 
a Frenchwoman,  being  beautifully  dressed  in  two  shades  of 
brown,  with  a black  lace  bonnet,  and  having  all  the  man- 
ners and  conversation  of  a European.  Her  remarks  about 
books,  pictures,  and  things  in  general  were  extremely 
clever  and  sensible,  and  it  was  difficult  to  imagine  how  she 
had  gained  her  knowledge,  or  to  believe  that  she  was  only 
an  educated  slave,  bought  when  young  by  Fuad  Pasha  to 
play  with  his  son,  and  afterwards  married  to  him  on 
account  of  her  superior  talent,  tact,  and  manner,  as  well 
as  of  her  extreme  beauty.  She  was  accompanied  by  a 
white  slave  and  a black  eunuch. 

The  Princess  Azizieh  sent  her  little  black  slave  in 
Albanian  costume,  on  purpose  to  please  Muriel,  she  herself 
being  too  unwell  to  come  on  board.  This  was  a great  dis- 
appointment to  her,  for  she  had  experienced  considerable 
difficulty  in  procuring  leave  to  come,  these  being  the  first 
visits  ever  paid  by  Turkish  ladies  to  a European.  The 
Princess  Nazli  arrived  next,  dressed  in  delicate  blue  satin 
and  Brussels  lace,  with  pale  pink  feathers  in  a blue  satin 
pork-pie  hat  to  match.  She  had  also  her  white  slave  and 
black  eunuch  in  attendance,  and  was  immensely  interested 
in  everything  she  saw,  admiring  most  things  greatly.  She 
smoked  nearly  all  the  time,  but  did  not  seem  to  approve 
either  of  our  coffee  or  our  tea.  After  visits  of  more  than  two 


END  OF  THE  RAMAZAN. 


103 


hours’  duration,  our  guests  departed,  I think  highly  grati- 
fied ; at  all  events,  they  had  had  quite  a novel  experience, 
and,  fortunately,  the  day  was  so  fine  that  they  had  no  ner- 
vous fears  in  going  backwards  and  forwards  in  the  boat. 
All  the  afternoon  and  evening  guns  were  firing  and  bands 
playing,  to  announce  the  end  of  Ramazan  and  the  com- 
mencement of  Bairam.  As  we  are  anchored  in  the  midst 
of  the  men-of-war,  the  prospect  of  deafening  salutes  five 
times  a day  and  night  for  the  next  three  days  is  not  a 
pleasant  one.  Just  before  dinner  we  had  a lottery  for  the 
crew  and  the  servants,  which  I think  they  enjoyed  immensely, 
especially  the  uncertainty  as  to  whether  they  would  draw  a 
caique,  pocket-handkerchief,  bag,  pair  of  slippers,  or  what 
not.  After  a glass  of  wine  all  round,  Mr.  Rowbotham 
made  a speech,  and  then  they  all  retired  to  the  forecastle 
for  a merry  evening  together  among  themselves. 

Tuesday , November  10 th. — It  has  been  the  custom  of 
the  Sultan  from  time  immemorial,  on  the  first  morning  of 
Bairam,  to  start  from  the  Seraglio  Palace  at  break  of  day, 
and  to  ride  in  state,  with  all  his  ministers  and  a great  many 
troops,  past  the  mosque  of  St.  Sophia  to  the  mosque  of 
Achmed  and  back.  We  had  made  all  our  arrangements 
accordingly,  ordered  horses,  procured  a cavass  from  the 
Sublime  Porte,  and  were  called  at  5.30  a.m.  Just  as 
we  were  going  to  start,  at  7 a.m.,  our  dragoman  came  on 
board  in  a great  hurry  to  say  that  the  Sultan  was  going  by 
water,  and  only  as  far  as  Tophaneh.  Again  we  dressed 
ship  in  all  haste,  and  the  Sultan  with  his  five  lovely  caiques 
passed  close  by  the  yacht.  His  own  caique  in  particular 
diverged  from  her  course  and  came  very  close,  to  have  a 
good  look  at  us.  He  kept  his  head  turned  in  our  direction, 


104 


COMMENCEMENT  OF  BAIRAM. 


and  saluted  us  all  repeatedly,  so  that  we  had  the  oppor- 
tunity of  indulging  in  a good  look  at  him. 

As  soon  as  he  had  passed  we  landed,  mounted  our 
horses,  and  went  to  see  the  crowd  on  shore,  which  was  very 
amusing.  Such  a mass  of  carriages  ! — I could  not  have 
believed  there  were  so  many  in  all  Constantinople — all  full 
of  Turkish  ladies,  in  their  smartest  dresses  and  jewels, 
and  attended  by  black  eunuchs  on  black  horses,  and  white 
eunuchs  on  white  horses.  Some  of  them  appeared  to  be 
dressed  to  suit  the  colour  of  their  carriages,  and  the  effect 
of  a bright  red,  yellow,  green,  or  blue  carriage,  lined  with 
red,  yellow,  green,  or  blue,  and  the  liveries  of  the  servants 
outside,  and  the  ladies’  feridjees  inside,  all  to  match,  was 
very  striking.  It  was  impossible  to  get  about,  except  on 
the  footpath,  and  even  then  only  slowly,  among  the  dense 
crowd,  all  in  their  holiday  best. 

The  Sultan  returned  from  the  mosque  at  Tophaneh  to 
Dolmabagtcheh  by  water,  passing  close  by  the  yacht  again, 
and  then  the  crowd  on  land  moved  gradually  towards  the 
palace,  to  see  the  ladies  of  the  harem  return,  and  all  the 
ministers  and  officials  pay  their  congratulatory  visits.  First 
came  the  Sultan  Valideh,  ‘ the  mother  of  the  Sultan  and  of 
her  country,’  and  for  that  reason  the  one  Turkish  lady 
allowed  to  go  without  a yashmak.  For  as  every  son  is 
allowed  to  look  on  the  face  of  his  mother,  so  the  people 
are  allowed  to  look  on  the  face  of  their  general  mother. 
Her  carriage  was  very  handsome,  drawn  by  four  black 
horses,  with  handsome  harness,  and  attended  by  a large 
retinue  of  slaves  and  soldiers  ; but  all  the  blinds  were  down. 
The  other  sultanas  were  in  almost  equally  gorgeous  carriages, 
mostly  drawn  by  white  horses,  and  surrounded  by  crowds  of 


ALT  BEY, . 


105 

attendants.  Then  came  the  Sultan’s  eldest  son,  commander- 
in-chief  of  the  army,  followed  by  the  next  son,  a boy  about 
seven  years  old,  who  is  lord  high  admiral  of  the  fleet  ; and 
the  procession  was  filled  in  and  closed  by  carriages  full  of 
ministers  of  every  degree,  in  their  most  gorgeous  uniforms. 

After  riding  about  for  two  or  three  hours,  we  went  on 
board,  dressed,  and  rowed  in  the  gig  up  to  Kandili  to  lunch. 
It  was  a pleasant  row  up  in  the  eddy  till  we  reached 
a particular  point,  Roomili  Hissar,  where  the  ‘ devil’s 
current,’  as  it  is  not  inappropriately  called,  ran  like  a mill- 
stream,  and  obliged  us  to  have  a rope  and  be  towed  by 
two  men.  Then  we  shot  across  and  down,  and  landed  on 
the  quay  at  Kandili.  A short  steep  climb  brought  us  to 
our  friend’s  house,  which  commands  lovely  views  on  every 
side,  up  and  down  and  across  the  Bosphorus,  and  to  the 
mountains  behind. 

Wednesday , November  nth. — Before  breakfast,  Ali  Bey 
came  on  board  with  a message  from  the  Sultan,  to  know  on 
what  day  and  at  what  hour  we  should  like  to  see  his  palace 
at  Beylerbey,  that  it  might  be  in  order  for  us.  The  Sultan 
had  sent  his  aide-de-camp  to  Aarif  Pasha  between  twelve 
and  one  last  night,  waking  them  all  up,  to  tell  him  to  make 
special  arrangements  for  us  to  see  it ; and  therefore  Ali 
Bey  came  on  board  the  first  thing  to  know  our  wishes.  It 
was  a very  wet  morning,  but  the  weather  cleared  up  at  about 
1 1.30  a.m.,  when  we  started  for  our  frequently  postponed  ride 
round  the  walls.  As  the  horse  I rode  yesterday  had  been 
down  in  the  interim,  and  was  dead  lame,  I had  to  wait 
while  they  found  another.  We  drove  the  first  part  of  the 
way,  across  the  bridge  into  Stamboul,  and  along  the  narrow- 
est and  dirtiest  streets  for  miles,  till  we  got  to  the  Seven 


io6 


THE  WALLS . 


Towers.  There  we  stopped,  climbed  up  the  walls,  saw  the 
towers,  admired  the  view,  back  over  Constantinople,  and 
forward  over  the  Sea  of  Marmora,  took  some  photographs, 
and  ate  our  lunch.  Then  we  mounted  our  horses  and  rode 
along  the  most  execrable  road,  outside  the  walls.  Of 
course  we  stopped  at  the  Greek  church  of  Balukli,  to  see 
the  miraculous  fishes  swimming  about  in  a dark  pool 
inside  a chapel.  They  are  said  to  be  eight  hundred  years 
old,  and  to  be  red  on  one  side  and  brown  on  the  other, 
in  consequence  of  having  leaped  from  the  frying-pan, 
not  into  the  fire,  but  into  the  water,  when  Constantinople 
was  taken  ! 

We  then  rode  on  round  the  walls,  which  are  triple,  and 
which  form  an  interesting  monument  of  the  work  of  the 
Middle  Ages.  They  are  of  enormous  size,  with  square 
towers  at  intervals,  and  were  of  considerable  strength  in 
former  days.  But  they  have  been  actually  sold  by  this 
present  Sultan  to  his  mother  for  the  paltry  price  of  the  build- 
ing materials,  and  she  was  rapidly  having  them  destroyed, 
when  this  act  of  vandalism  was  stopped  by  the  British 
minister  in  1869.  Past  the  Gate  of  Adrianople  and  various 
other  gates,  up  and  down  steep  hills,  through  graveyards, 
full  of  dogs  and  magpies,  but  always  on  a frightful  road,  we 
rode,  till  we  reached  Eyoob,  the  mosque,  where  the  new 
Sultan  is  not  exactly  crowned,  but  girt  with  the  sword  of 
Osman,  which  ceremony  answers  to  the  coronation  of  our 
kings  and  queens. 

The  way  home  lay  along  a real  road,  but  knee-deep  in 
'mud,  and  full  of  holes,  some  very  deep.  We  crossed  the  new 
French  bridge,  and  rode  up  into  Pera,  arriving  just  in  time 
for  dinner,  at  Misseri’s.  Rustem  Pasha,  governor  of  Leba- 


BEYLERBEY. 


107 


non,  was  there,  holding  forth  on  the  mismanagement  con- 
nected with  the  rebuilding  of  the  Embassy  here,  of  which 
he  said  even  the  Turks  would  be  ashamed.  The  mistakes 
and  the  delays  are  really  so  ludicrous,  that  they  furnish 
the  main  subject  of  talk  everywhere  here.  After  tea  I was 
carried  in  a sedan-chair  down  to  the  yacht,  and  found  it  a 
very  pleasant  mode  of  conveyance.  The  men  went  at  a 
smart  pace,  but  very  smoothly,  over  the  rough  ground  ; 
so  I do  not  wonder  that  people  prefer  these  chairs  to 
the  jolting  of  a carriage  in  this  badly-paved  town. 

Thursday , November  1 2th. — Aarif  Pasha,  high  admiral 
of  the  fleet,  was  on  board  by  eight,  saying  he  had  received 
another  message  from  the  Sultan,  to  fetch  us  himself  and 
take  us  round  the  palace  and  gardens  of  Beylerbey  at  eleven. 
At  that  hour  he  returned,  and  took  us  in  a twelve-oared 
boat  up  the  Bosphorus  to  Beylerbey.  We  were  received  on 
the  steps  by  half  a dozen  servants,  who  first  showed  us  a 
seal  in  a large  salt-water  tank,  and  then  took  us  inside  the 
gardens,  which  are  in  excellent  order  and  full  of  flowers, 
though  it  is  late  in  the  season.  We  then  went  into 
the  kiosk,  which  is  built  on  the  terrace  overhanging 
the  Bosphorus,  with  enormous  plate-glass  windows,  each 
forming  as  it  were  the  frame  to  an  exquisite  real  landscape. 
It  is  luxuriously  furnished  and  has  a highly  decorated  ceiling. 
The  palace  itself  is  magnificent,  especially  the  staircase, 
the  steps  and  balustrades  of  which  are  inlaid  with  the 
finest  marqueterie.  The  hall,  too,  resting  on  large  marble 
columns,  is  very  fine  : it  is  surrounded  by  numerous  rooms, 
each  handsomer  than  the  last,  with  ornamental  ceilings,  and 
pictures  of  ships  let  into  the  walls  in  every  direction. 
Having  seen  all  the  apartments  in  the  Selemlek,  we  went 


io8  THE  EVIL  EYE . 


into  the  apartments  of  the  Harem,  containing  a still  larger 
and  more  spacious  hall,  in  which  were  a most  splendid 
table,  chandelier,  candelabra,  and  clock,  in  frosted  silver,  a 
present  from  the  Viceroy  of  Egypt  ; also  two  handsome 
cabinets,  in  which  are  kept  many  of  the  Sultan’s  jewels. 
The  rooms  surrounding  the  ladies’  hall  are  just  as  hand- 
some as  those  surrounding  the  men’s  hall,  with  the  ex- 
ception that  all  the  walls  are  whitewashed,  instead  of  being 
painted  in  designs  or  hung  with  silk.  By  another  stair- 
case we  descended  into  a third  magnificent  hall,  the  centre 
entirely  occupied  by  an  enormous  fountain,  easily  convertible 
into  a bath.  It  must  be  deliciously  cool  in  summer,  and 
here  sometimes  the  Sultan  has  theatrical  performances. 
On  the  women’s  side  are  the  apartments  of  his  mother, 
on  the  other  those  of  his  son. 

We  sat  down  for  a time  in  one  of  the  rooms,  while 
coffee,  sweetmeats,  and  cigarettes  were  served  to  us.  Then 
we  went  through  the  gardens,  all  laid  out  in  terraces,  with 
miniature  lakes  and  splendid  bronzes,  and  so  on  to  the 
upper  kiosk,  which  overlooks  the  public  park,  and  where 
the  Sultan  delights  to  sit  and  observe  the  people.  He 
goes  there  frequently,  but  never  enters  the  palace  since  the 
visit  of  the  French  Empress,  being  afraid  of  the  evil  eye, 
her  misfortunes  having  come  soon  after  her  visit.  He  has 
even  had  part  of  the  outbuildings  pulled  down,  to  try 
and  avert  any  ill  consequences.  The  proportions  of  the 
palace  are  so  good  that  it  is  really  spacious  inside,  and 
contains  many  suites  of  rooms,  surrounding  two  enormous 
halls,  all  on  one  floor.  Outside  it  does  not  look  larger 
than  an  ordinary  country  house. 

Leaving  the  kiosk  we  passed  a small  lake,  about  three 


A ROYAL  KISS. 


109 


feet  deep.  There  are  boats  on  it  in  the  summer,  and  the 
Sultan  sometimes  amuses  himself  by  sitting  on  the  bank, 
while  some  of  the  ladies  of  the  harem  are  rowed  about  and 
purposely  upset  for  his  amusement  They  are  all  dressed 
very  smartly  for  the  occasion,  and  he  always  gives  them 
new  dresses  afterwards.  There  was  another  kiosk,  decked 
out  with  paintings  of  animals  and  birds,  and  bad  copies 
of  Landseer’s  pictures,  while  the  grounds  were  full  of 
pigeons  and  curious  birds  in  aviaries,  and  wild  beasts  of 
all  kinds.  They  were  removed  from  Tcheragan  a few 
weeks  ago,  because  they  roared  and  disturbed  the  Sultan 
at  night.  When  the  Empress  was  staying  here,  the 
Sultan  visited  her  every  day.  One  day  she  went  to  see 
his  mother,  and  saluted  her  on  the  cheek.  The  Valideh 
was  furious,  and  said  she  had  never  been  so  insulted  in  her 
life,  especially  by  a Giaour.  She  retired  to  bed  at  once, 
was  bled,  and  had  several  Turkish  baths,  to  purify  her  from 
the  pollution.  Fancy  the  Empress’s  feelings,  when,  after 
having  so  far  condescended  as  to  kiss  the  old  woman, 
born  one  of  the  lowest  of  slaves,  she  had  her  embrace 
received  in  such  a manner.  One  of  the  Sultan’s  titles,  of 
which  he  is  very  proud, — why,  I know  not — is  ‘ Son  of  a 
Slave.’ 

At  the  steps  of  Beylerbey  we  parted  from  Aarif  Pasha, 
who  sent  us  back  in  the  same  boat  we  came  in,  whilst  he 
returned  on  board  the  flag-ship,  alongside  of  which  a perfect 
fleet  of  captains’  gigs  was  waiting,  to  receive  their  orders 
for  the  annual  move  of  the  fleet  from  the  Bosphorus  into 
the  Golden  Horn  for  the  winter.  This  is  one  of  the  only 
two  cruises  they  ever  make  in  the  year,  so  that  it  is  an 
im  ortant  event  ; and  though  it  is  only  about  three  miles 


IIO 


AN  UNFORTUNATE  CONTRACTOR. 


from  above  Tcheragan  to  the  dockyard,  the  ships  generally 
contrive  to  do  a good  deal  of  damage  to  themselves,  to 
each  other,  and  to  the  two  bridges.  When  his  business 
was  over,  Aarif  Pasha  returned  to  lunch,  and  we  found 
several  other  friends  on  board.  After  they  left,  it  being 
nearly  dark,  we  went  in  a caique  to  see  the  sunset  from 
the  Golden  Horn.  Nothing  could  be  more  lovely,  with  all 
the  shipping  about  The  smoke  of  the  steamers  even  was 
gilded,  and  looked  picturesque  at  this  hour. 

We  went  down  as  far  as  the  French  bridge,  over  which 
the  contractor  lost  an  immense  sum  of  money  in  the  fol- 
lowing manner.  The  bridge  was  to  have  been  finished  by 
a particular  day,  but  the  contractor  found  that  this  would 
be  impossible  with  Turkish  workmen  unless  he  worked 
day  and  night.  This  he  obtained  leave  to  do,  and  the 
necessary  lights  and  torches  were  supplied  at  the  Sultan’s 
expense.  All  went  well  for  a time,  till  the  unfortunate  con- 
tractor was  told  that  he  must  open  the  bridge  to  let  a ship 
from  the  dockyard  pass  through,  some  time  before  the 
bridge  was  finished.  He  said  it  was  impossible,  as  he 
would  have  to  pull  everything  down,  and  it  would  take  two 
or  three  months  to  replace  the  scaffolding  and  pile-driving 
machines.  He  went  to  the  ministers  of  marine  and  finance. 
They  only  said, £ If  the  Sultan  says  it  must  be  done,  it  MUST, 
or  we  shall  lose  our  places  if  not  our  heads/  So  the  ship 
came  out,  at  a cost  of  a little  over  a hundred  thousand 
pounds  and  a delay  of  three  months  in  the  completion  of 
the  bridge,  all  because  the  Sultan  found  his  small  son  crying 
in  the  harem  one  day,  the  child’s  grief  being  that,  though 
he  had  just  been  promised  to  be  made  an  admiral,  he 
could  not  see  his  flag  hoisted  on  his  own  particular  ship 


A CHILD'S  WHIM. 


in 


from  the  nursery  windows.  So  a large  ironclad  was  brought 
out  from  the  dockyard  and  moored  in  front  of  Dolma- 
bagtcheh  to  gratify  his  infant  mind,  thus  causing  enormous 
inconvenience  to  the  whole  town  for  months,  to  say  nothing 
of  the  waste  of  money,  of  which  the  Sultan  paid  very  little, 
and  for  the  loss  of  which,  I imagine,  he  cared  still  less. 


The  Sultan's  youngest  son. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


THE  SEA  OF  MARMORA,  DARDANELLES,  SMYRNA* 
EPHESUS,  CHIOS,  AND  MILO. 

There  is  a temple  in  ruin  stands , 

Fashioned  by  long  forgotten  hands  ; 

Two  or  three  columns  and  many  a stone, 

Marble  and  granite,  with  grass  o' ergrown . 

Sunday , November  1 5 th. — We  had  service  on  board,  as 
usual.  Soon  after,  Madame  Cassanova  and  a French  maid 
arrived  from  Madame  Ikbal  Kiasim  and  Madame  Hilmeh, 
with  a feridjee  and  yashmak,  all  arranged  ready  for  me  to 
put  on,  and  the  most  lovely  embroidered  dress  as  a present 
They  are  really  all  exceedingly  kind.  Madame  Kiasim  had 
already  sent  me  a towel  beautifully  embroidered  in  gold, 
and  the  Princess  Azizieh  another  embroidered  with  a picture 
of  Noah’s  Ark  as  a paddle-wheel  steamer  with  smoke  com- 
ing out  of  the  funnel,  and  the  dove  returning  with  the 
olive-branch. 

We  landed  about  11.30  a.m.,  and  drove  to  the  Sweet 
Waters,  where  we  all  met  (some  on  horseback  and 
some  in  carriages,  a pleasant  little  party)  for  a pic-nic. 
It  was  another  lovely  day,  though  cloudy,  very  warm,  with 
occasional  gleams  of  sun.  The  peacocks  were  more  abun- 
dant than  ever,  and  we  tried  hard  to  take  some  photographs 
of  them,  but  failed  from  lack  of  light.  Several  friends 
drove  by  while  we  were  at  lunch  on  the  bank  of  the  river. 


THE  SULTAN’S  SKETCHES. 


i*3 

and  stopped  to  have  a chat.  We  were  obliged  to  drive 
back  early,  to  go  on  board,  dress,  and  attend  a small  plea- 
sant dinner-party,  followed  by  a large  assembly  after  din- 
ner, with  some  very  good  music.  We  were  very  sorry  to 
say  good-bye  to  all  our  kind  friends  at  night,  for  though 
we  have  talked  of  going  for  some  time  we  are  still  here. 
We  really  mean,  however,  to  make  a start  to-morrow. 

Monday , November  16th. — We  drove  up  into  the  town 
after  breakfast,  to  pay  bills,  make  farewell  visits,  &c.,  and, 
after  lunch  at  Misseri’s,  went  to  wish  Mr.  Chlebowski  good- 


bye, and  thank  him  for  the  kind  present  he  had  made  fne 
of  an  original  marine  sketch  by  the  Sultan  Abdul  Aziz, 
a great  compliment,  as  he  has  always  hitherto  refused 
to  part  with  one  of  these  sketches.  He  was  delighted 
to  see  us.  The  inspection  of  the  grand  picture  he  has 
in  hand,  and  then  of  his  most  choice  and  varied  collection, 
took  some  time.  He  told  us  about  his  life  in  the  Sultan’s 
palace,  which  seemed  almost  like  that  of  a state  prisoner. 
He  was  always  hard  at  work,  and  was  scarcely  allowed  time 


I 


114 


THE  SEA  OF  MARMORA. 


for  his  meals,  and  never  permitted  to  be  ill  or  tired.  The 
Sultan  immediately  dismisses  any  official,  employ e,  or 
servant,  who  is  so  unlucky  as  to  be  ill  even  for  a day. 
At  the  end  of  five  years  he  saw  the  Sultan  for  the  first  time. 
After  that  he  used  often  to  drop  in,  and  make  rough 
sketches  of  the  pictures  he  wished  painted.  On  Friday  the 
Sultan  used  to  say  : ‘ You  are  a Christian,  so  you  can  work, 
though  it  is  our  Sabbath;  ’ — on  Saturday  : ‘ You  are  not  a 
Jew,  so  of  course  you  work  to-day  ; ’ — and  on  Sunday  : ‘ I 
know  this  is  your  day  of  rest,  but  it  is  not  mine,  as  I am 
a Mussulman  ; so  you  must  work  for  me.’  Consequently, 
at  the  end  of  nine  years,  he  was  obliged  to  give  up  his 
appointment,  quite  broken  in  health. 

It  was  nearly  5 p.m.  before*  we  reached  the  yacht. 
Everybody  was  on  board,  but,  instead  of  everything  being 
ready,  the  two  anchors  were  so  foul  of  one  another 
(for  want  of  a proper  swivel)  that  neither  of  them  was 
half  up,  and  it  was  more  than  6.30  p.m.  before  we  were 
really  on  our  way,  and  steaming  slowly  away  from  Con- 
stantinople, past  the  Seraglio  Point  and  down  the  Sea  of 
Marmora.  We  were  very  sorry  to  leave  on  some  accounts, 
and  wondered  when,  if  ever,  we  should  return  and  see  the 
beautiful  city  and  our  numerous  kind  friends  again.  It 
was  almost  a calm  when  we  started,  with  a slight  breath  of 
contrary  wind  ; but  in  the  night  it  shifted  a little,  and 
freshened  so  much  that,  though  close-hauled,  and  with  but 
little  canvas,  we  sailed  forty  knots  (forty-five  miles)  in  three 
hours  by  the  log,  independently  of  the  current — not  bad 
going  at  sea — a mile  in  less  than  four  minutes.  Tom  kept  an 
extra  watch  all  night,  besides  being  on  the  bridge  himself ; 
for  this  sea,  which  is  very  narrow  and  a great  thoroughfare, 


CH A NA  K-KA  LESL 


”5 


being  the  highway  to  the  Black  Sea,  is  crowded  with  ships, 
and  very  few  of  the  Greek  or  Turkish  vessels  carry  lights. 
A few  years  ago  one  of  the  Viceroy’s  small  yachts,  the 
‘ Muffa,’  going  fifteen  knots,  cut  down  an  English  ship  so 
effectually  that  she  sank  almost  instantaneously,  although 
not  completely  cut  through,  and  the  crew,  thirteen  in 
number,  who  were  happily  all  on  deck,  were  saved  by  cling- 
ing to  the  yacht’s  anchor  chains  as  she  went  through. 
None  of  the  officers,  except  those  on  deck,  were  in  the  least 
aware  of  any  collision,  and  in  the  morning  there  was  only  a 
slight  scratch  on  the  bow  of  the  yacht,  hardly  removing 
the  paint,  to  show  what  had  happened  in  the  night. 

Tuesday , November  lyth. — The  wind  dropped,  and  we 
were  obliged  to  steam  again.  Then,  before  we  passed 
Gallipoli,  a burnt-up  white-looking  town  on  the  top  of 
brown  cliffs,  it  came  dead  ahead  and  pretty  strong,  with 
pouring  rain  and  a thick  fog.  Tom  therefore  thought  it 
better,  when  we  reached  Chanak-Kalesi  (the  narrowest  part 
of  the  Dardanelles,  where  we  were  obliged  to  stop  to  give 
up  our  firman  and  bill  of  health),  to  remain  there  for 
the  night.  We  landed  about  3.30  p.m.,  in  the  pouring 
rain,  called  on  the  vice-consul,  Mr.  Cortazzi,  who  was  most 
kind,  posted  our  letters,  gave  us  the  latest  papers,  and 
went  with  us  to  buy  some  of  the  coarse  pottery  for  which 
the  place  is  famous,  Chanak-Kalesi  in  fact  meaning 
‘ Earthenware  Castle.’  The  place  has  been  much  improved 
of  late  years.  The  cemetery  is  removed  from  the  middle 
of  the  town,  and  a high  road  has  been  carried  through  it. 
The  inhabitants  objected  strongly  to  this  change,  and  when 
the  late  governor  proposed  to  remove  the  tomb  of  a very 
sainted  dervish,  there  was  a regular  revolution.  He  was 


n6 


SMYRNA  JEWELLERY . 


therefore  obliged  to  let  it  remain  exactly  in  the  middle 
of  the  high  road,  with  a railing  round,  and  a lamp  at  each 
end,  to  keep  passers-by  from  tumbling  over  it  at  night. 
The  rain  came  down  harder  than  ever  as  we  went  on  board, 
but  ceased  after  dinner,  and  we  had  a fine  night 

Wednesday , November  1 8th. — By  9 a.m.  we  were  off 
again,  under  steam.  The  wind  was  contrary  (N.E.),  so 
that,  with  a falling  glass,  we  expected  a gale  all  day,  and 
indeed  came  in  for  a small  one  in  the  afternoon,  which 
changed  the  wind,  when  we  were  able  to  feather  our  screw 
and  set  sail.  We  held  on  all  through  the  night  under 
canvas,  sailing  sometimes  fast,  sometimes  slow. 

Thursday , November  igth. — At  7.45  a.m.  we  got 
up  steam,  and  at  10.30  a.m.  we  dropped  our  anchor  in 
the  lovely  Bay  of  Smyrna.  The  tops  of  the  hills  were 
covered  with  snow,  and  it  was  bitterly  cold,  with  heavy 
showers  of  rain.  We  landed  about  1 1 a.m.,  and  paddled 
through  the  mud,  over  planks  across  torrents  running  down 
t*he  streets,  to  the  British  consul’s,  where,  to  our  great 
disappointment,  we  found  no  letters,  only  a telegram  about 
the  Birkenhead  election.  From  the  consul’s  we  went  to 
the  bazaars,  which,  though  under  cover,  were  dirtier  and 
wetter  even  than  the  streets,  torrents  of  water  running 
down,  and  occupying  almost  the  whole  width  between  the 
dullest  and  most  uninteresting  of  small  shops.  Of  course 
there  were  pretty  things,  but  they  were  few  and  far  between. 
Even  the  jewellers’  shops  were  not  interesting,  though  we 
found  a few  of  the  celebrated  Smyrna  bracelets  and  chains. 
More  than  once  we  had  to  squeeze  ourselves  almost  into 
nothing  against  the  shop-fronts,  to  allow  long  droves  of 
camels  to  pass  by — splendid  big  fat  creatures,  covered 


DIANAS  BATH. 


ii  7 


with  curly  hair.  They  were  sleek  and  well  cared  for, 
carrying  their  heads  with  an  air  of  dignity,  very  different 
from  their  small  African  brethren. 

We  waded  back  to  the  hotel,  thoroughly  dirty  and 
wet,  and  as  it  cleared  up  a little  after  lunch  we  went  for  a 
drive  round  the  town,  over  the  roughest  of  streets,  and  then 
outside  through  the  marshes,  full  of  oranges  and  myrtles, 
along  the  side  of  a canal,  till  we  reached  a large  orange 


Smyrna  Camel. 


and  myrtle  grove,  in  the  centre  of  which  are  the  remains  of 
Diana’s  bath,  a beautiful  ‘ silent  pool 5 of  transparently  clear 
water,  full  of  fish  swimming  about.  In  spite  of  the  cold 
wet  day  and  the  snow  on  the  hills,  the  gardener  gathered 
a large  bunch  of  beautiful  roses,  and  boughs  of  oranges, 
nearly  ripe,  besides  quantities  of  myrtle.  We  returned  on 
board,  and  found  Mr.  Bigliotti  had  kindly  been  to  arrange 
for  a special  train  to  Sardis  (the  ancient  capital  of  Lydia, 


1 1 8 


TURKEY  CARPETS. 


where  there  are  a few  interesting  remains)  for  to-morrow 
at  7 a.m.  ; but  the  weather  was  so  bad  that  we  thought  it 
better  to  decline  the  kind  offer  with  grateful  thanks. 

Friday , November  20///,  was  rather  finer,  though  bit- 
terly cold  and  showery.  All  the  morning  was  occupied 
with  making  arrangements  about  one  of  our  men  who  has 
been  sick  for  some  time  with  Asiatic  fever,  and  we  thought 
it  might  be  better  to  send  him  home  by  the  Cunard  boat 
lying  alongside,  or  else  to  place  him  in  the  hospital  on 
shore.  But  the  man  is  very  anxious  to  stay  on  board 
with  his  shipmates,  and  as  the  doctor  does  not  think  it 
will  do  him  any  harm,  we  have  decided  to  let  him  stay. 
When  we  came  on  board  yesterday  the  first  thing  we  were 
told  was  that  a snake  about  two  feet  long  had  been  caught 
coming  out  of  the  port  in  Allnutfis  berth.  How  it  ever 
got  there  is  a mystery.  We  can  only  imagine  that  it  must 
have  come  on  board  in  one  of  the  pots  from  Chanak- 
Kalesi,  where  it  had  probably  settled  itself  for  the  winter, 
but  had  been  disturbed  by  being  brought  on  board.  Any- 
how it  is  not  a pleasant  idea,  as  there  is  a popular  theory 
that  where  there  is  one  there  are  sure  to  be  two  ; it  makes 
us  very  careful  as  we  step  about,  get  into  bed,  or  look  into 
any  dark  corner.  As  a precaution,  we  have  ordered  the 
pots  on  deck  each  to  be  filled  with  water  and  then  repacked. 

We  landed  about  noon,  and  went  first  to  the  Persian 
khan,  and  then  to  the  great  depot  for  Turkey  carpets, 
a small  shop,  in  which  sat  an  old  Turk  cross-legged,  who 
allowed  us  to  purchase  his  wares  with  the  most  sublime 
indifference.  The  carpets  certainly  were  far  better  than  I 
had  ever  seen  imported  into  England,  and  much  cheaper. 
After  lunch  the  consul  sent  his  cavass,  and  Munie  and  I on 


GENOESE  CASTLE . 


donkeys,  the  rest  of  the  party  on  foot,  went  through  the 
town  and  up  the  hill  to  the  Genoese  castle,  which  once 
commanded  the  town  and  bay,  but  is  now  in  ruins.  It  is 
alleged  to  be  the  restoration  of  a fortress  of  the  Cyclopean 
period,  but  no  traces  of  the  fortifications  are  to  be  seen 
now,  though  numerous  remains  of  Greek  and  Etruscan 
pottery  and  statuettes  have  been  discovered,  and  we  bought 
a beautiful  little  head  of  a terra-cotta  statue  from  a 


Aqueduct  near  Ephesus. 

shepherd  boy  on  our  way  down 
The  view  from  the  summit  is  very 
fine,  not  only  over  the  town  and  bay 
of  Smyrna,  but  over  the  surrounding  country. 

Saturday , November  2ist.— About  2 a.m.  it  came  on  to 
blow  a hurricane,  and  at  5 a.m.,  when  we  were  called,  it  was 
blowing  still  harder,  and  pouring  with  rain  ; so  we  reluc- 
tantly gave  up  our  intended  expedition  to  Ephesus,  sent 
notes  to  the  manager  of  the  railway,  and  then  turned 


120 


ENGLISH  CHURCH. 


over  and  went  to  sleep  again.  After  breakfast  we  had  an 
answer  from  him,  saying  that  the  barometer  had  not  been  so 
low  in  Smyrna  for  years,  and  that  he  expected  worse  weather 
to  follow.  All  day  it  blew,  rained,  thundered,  lightened, 
as  if  all  the  fury  of  the  elements  had  been  let  loose  on  our 
devoted  heads.  At  least  three  thunder-storms  seemed  to 
break  over  our  little  ship,  the  thunder  crashing  and  the 
lightning  flashing  almost  simultaneously.  It  was  next  to 
impossible  to  land,  and  we  were  busy  all  day  writing  letters, 
copying  out  journal,  arranging  old,  and  developing  new 
photographs,  &c.  Towards  evening  the  wind  moderated, 
and  though  we  had  thunder-storms  and  rain  during  the 
night,  with  a considerable  amount  of  wind,  the  fury  of  the 
gale  had  moderated,  and  the  morning  broke  bright  and 
clear.  About  i p.m.  to-day  (Saturday)  we  dragged  our 
anchor,  and  as  it  was  some  time  before  anyone  perceived 
what  was  happening,  we  had  full  way  on,  and  were  drifting 
with  great  force  against  an  Austrian  steamer  before  we 
knew  where  we  were.  She  let  out  more  chain,  we  let  go 
another  anchor,  and  at  last,  after  much  excitement,  the  ter- 
rible collision  which  it  seemed  impossible  to  avert  was 
avoided,  with  barely  three  inches  to  spare,  as  the  end  of  our 
mizen-boom  glided  by  her  bowsprit  All  hands  on  the 
decks  of  both  craft  of  course  did  their  best  to  help. 

Sunday,  November  2 2nd. — The  sea  was  still  breaking 
over  the  quay  with  so  much  force  this  morning  that  it  was 
difficult  to  land  before  noon,  and  we  had  to  row  up  quite 
behind  the  breakwater  in  order  to  effect  a landing  dryshod. 
The  walk  to  the  English  church  was  long  and  very  dirty. 
After  service  we  went  to  the  Point  Station  of  the  Smyrna 
and  Aidin  railway,  where  we  found  our  special  train  waiting 


TEMPLE  OF  EL  ANA. 


121 


for  us,  and  the  manager  ready  to  receive  us,  with  luncheon 
provided  at  his  private  residence.  We  started  about  2 p.m. 
through  a pleasant  low  country  between  ranges  of  moun- 
tains. We  met  a long  string  of  fine  camels,  packed  with 
tents  and  bright-coloured  rugs  and  carpets,  and  led  by  their 
owners,  accompanied  by  all  their  women  and  children,  dogs, 
domestic  animals,  cocks  and  hens — evidently  changing 
their  camp.  A splendid  eagle  rose  from  the  plain  and 
slowly  flew  towards  the  mountains. . Our  line  passed  the 
railroad  to  Magnesia  and  Sardis,  always  winding  along  the 
valley  where  once  the  river  flowed.  Other  Arab  encamp- 
ments were  dotted  about,  but  neither  villages  nor  houses 
except  those  connected  with  the  railway  were  to  be  seen, 
till  Ayasolook,  the  station  for  Ephesus,  had  been  reached. 
Just  before  arriving  a tremendous  jolt  caused  a stoppage, 
and  we  found  we  had  run  over  a cow.  The  poor  creature’s 
body,  completely  cut  in  half,  was  soon  further  divided  and 
taken  possession  of  by  the  guards  and  bystanders. 

Horses  were  in  readiness  for  us,  and  we  rode  first  to  the 
top  of  the  hill  near  the  station,  to  get  a general  view  of  the 
ruins — the  remains  of  many  Mohammedan  mosques  and 
tombs,  some  in  very  tolerable  preservation,  and  those  of 
modern  date  of  very  good  architecture.  At  the  bottom  of 
the  hill  stands  the  temple  of  Diana  of  the  Ephesians,  exca- 
vated by  Mr.  Wood,  23  feet  below  the  surface  of  the  sur- 
rounding plain.  It  was  once  one  of  the  seven  wonders  of 
the  world,  and  though  burnt  eight  times,  it  still  contained 
many  treasures  of  art  and  sculpture  to  reward  the  exca- 
vator. As  these  have  been  mostly  removed  to  the  British 
Museum,  there  is  not  much  left  to  see  on  the  spot.  On 
one  of  the  small  hills  above,  the  guides  point  out  the  ruins 


122 


EPHESUS. 


of  the  church  of  St.  John,  and,  close  by,  his  grave  and 
that  of  the  Virgin  Mary.  We  bought  some  of  the  marble 
remains  (not  thought  worth  taking  to  the  British  Museum) 
from  Mr.  Wood’s  agent,  took  some  photographs,  and  saw 
the  Turkish  aqueducts,  all  tumbling  to  pieces,  but  with 
beautiful  bits  of  Greek  sculpture  built  in  here  and  there. 
Even  in  the  small  cottages  and  fountains  you  find  lovely 
specimens  of  Greek  inscriptions  and  sculpture  let  in  any- 
how into  doorsteps  or  lintels,  or  built  into  the  wall. 


A Camp  on  the  Hoad. 


We  left  Ayasolook  at  5 p.m.  and  reached  Smyrna  about 
6.45  p.m.,  found  the  boat  waiting  for  us  at  the  Point  Pier, 
a nice  smooth  place  of  embarkation,  and  reached  the  yacht 
after  a long  row  by  7.45  p.m. 

Monday , November  23 rd. — We  had  intended  to  start  at 
8.30  a.m.,  but,  as  usual,  there  were  many  delays.  The  steward 
did  not  come  on  board  till  9 a.m.,  and  the  water-boat  was 
not  alongside  till  nearly  the  same  hour;  so  it  was  just  10.30 
a.m.  before  we  were  really  off,  under  steam,  with  pouring  rain, 


CHIOS . 


123 


but  not  a breath  of  wind.  It  cleared  up  about  the  middle 
of  the  day  ; the  breeze  freshened,  and  we  were  going  twelve 
knots  when  off  the  island  of  Chios,  about  7.30  p.m.  After 
some  debate  we  decided  to  throw  away  (so  to  speak)  our  fair 
wind,  and  lie-to  off  the  island  till  morning,  to  land  and  see 
its  beauties.  It  was  a most  lovely  moonlight  night,  and  as 
we  glided  slowly  about,  with  the  full  moon  shining  on  the 
sails,  and  a delicious  aromatic  fragrance  wafted  from  the 
shore  on  either  side,  it  was  exactly  one’s  beau  ideal  of  what 
cruising  in  the  Archipelago  ought  to  be,  if  only  the  ther- 
mometer were  1 50  higher — 8o°  instead  of  65°. 

Tuesday , November  24 th. — Breakfast  was  over  by  8 a.m., 
and  we  landed  at  9 a.m.,  sending  off  a doctor  to  see  an- 
other of  our  men,  who  had  unfortunately  caught  the  country 
fever,  and  was  very  ill.  Evie,  Muhie,  and  I rode,  and  the 
gentlemen  walked,  for  about  an  hour  and  a half,  along  dirty 
lanes,  between  high  walls  overhung  with  orange,  lemon, 
pomegranate,  fig,  and  mastic  trees,  affording  tantalising 
peeps  through  latticed  gates  of  lovely  gardens,  still  full  of 
scarlet  cloves,  geraniums,  and  other  bright  flowers.  The 
mastic  is  the  chief  product  of  the  island,  and  is  a spe- 
ciality. It  has  been  tried  in  many  other  places,  but  has 
almost  always  failed. 

At  length  we  reached  our  destination,  and  were  ad- 
mitted through  one  of  the  large  and  jealously  guarded 
gates  into  a lovely  orange  grove,  where  we  wandered  about 
and  gathered  oranges  to  eat  and  boughs  to  take  home  at 
our  own  sweet  will.  Then,  after  taking  some  photographs, 
we  mounted  our  donkeys  again,  and  turned  our  faces 
homewards.  At  the  quay  we  bought  some  eggs,  chickens, 
and  bread,  and  were  prepared  to  go  on  board,  when  the 


124 


UNINVITED  PASSENGERS. 


French  vice-consul  came  with  a piteous  appeal,  to  beg  us 
to  give  him  a passage  to  Syra  or  Tenos.  He  had  been 
waiting  to  take  his  little  girl  to  school  for  three  weeks, 
during  which  period  the  bad  weather  had  prevented  the 
steamers  touching.  It  was  rather  inconvenient,  and  we 
represented  to  him  in  the  strongest  terms  that  we  had 
neither  bed  nor  room  on  board,  and  should  probably  go 
straight  to  Corfu,  without  touching  at  Syra  ; but  he  con- 
tinued to  plead  so  hard  that  at  last  Tom  gave  way,  and  we 
consented  to  wait  ten  minutes  for  his  daughter,  her  malle , 
and  her  matelas , all  of  which  speedily  arrived,  with  the 
accompaniment  of  the  vice-consul’s  own  very  small  valise, 
and  a basket  full  of  the  odds  and  ends  without  which 
foreigners  hardly  ever  seem  able  to  travel.  I think  the 
poor  man  had  taken  us  for  a trader,  and  he  was  rather 
astonished  when  we  went  below  to  lunch.  Afterwards, 
when  shown  round  the  yacht,  he  said,  ‘ But  you  are  all 
cabins  ; where  does  your  cargo  go  ? ’ It  was  quite  calm, 
but  the  daughter  was  very  ill,  and  retired  shortly  to  bed  in 
Mabelle’s  berth. 

Wednesday , Novembei'  2 5 th. — At  3.30  a.m.  we  were  off 
Tenos.  Tom  called  our  passengers,  and  took  them  him- 
self ashore  in  the  cutter.  They  were  terribly  frightened, 
and  very  ill.  When  they  reached  the  landing-place,  every- 
body on  shore  was  asleep,  and  when  they  were  roused  they 
told  us  that  the  senior  health  officer  had  been  superseded 
yesterday,  and  that  the  new  one  only  commenced  his  official 
duties  at  8 a.m.  to-day.  Hence  there  were  great  delays, 
one  not  knowing  the  proper  form,  and  the  one  who  did 
know  not  being  qualified  to  sign  it.  In  the  end  the  matter 
was  satisfactorily  settled.  The  gratitude  of  our  temporary 


COMMERCE  OF  THE  ARCHIPELAGO. 


125 


guests  was  immense.  To  this  day  I have  occasional  letters 
from  them,  with  a photograph  or  a little  gum  mastic. 

Tom  returned  on  board,  and  we  were  under  weigh  again 
about  6 a.m.,  passing  between  the  central  island  of  Syra — 
from  whence  almost  all  the  commerce  of  the  Archipelago 


MuSie,  Mr.  Crake,  Evie,  and  Fdlise. 


is  conducted — and  the  anciently  sacred  island  of  Delos. 
All  the  islands  of  the  Archipelago  send  their  produce  in 
small  boats  to  Syra,  there  to  be  reshipped  in  steamers  for 
ports  in  England  and  elsewhere,  bringing  back  various 
kinds  of  cotton  goods  and  iron  tools,  as  well  as  money,  in 
exchange. 

We  had  been  going  fourteen  knots  ever  since  6 a.m.,  the 


126 


MILO  HARBOUR. 


gale  gradually  increasing,  till  at  9 a.m.  we  hove-to,  to  take 
in  reefs  and  hold  a council  of  war,  whether  to  run  back 
to  Syra  or  struggle  on  to  Milo,  25  miles  further  on. 
As  the  wind  was  fair,  we  decided  to  keep  on,  and  a 
terrible  tossing  we  had.  A nasty  short  sea,  a great  deal 
of  water  on  board,  and  a gale  of  wind,  made  us  all 
very  thankful  to  get  into  the  shelter  of  the  splendid 
harbour  of  Milo.  The  entrance  to  it  is  very  beautiful,  and 
takes  you  between  abrupt  volcanic  rocks,  of  the  most  varied 
tints  of  red,  green,  purple,  and  yellow.  So  brilliant  and 
intense  was  all  the  colouring,  but  especially  the  red,  that, 
till  we  looked  through  the  glasses,  we  almost  thought 
the  rocks  were  overgrown  with  Virginian  creeper  of  the 
brightest  scarlet.  A little  town  perched  on  the  very  apex 
of  the  highest  and  sharpest-peaked  mountain  seemed  to 
domineer  over  the  whole  island,  making  one  wonder  how 
the  inhabitants  ever  climbed  up  to  their  craggy  houses; 
and  the  effect  was  altogether  very  beautiful  in  the  setting 
sun.  A few  miles  up  the  bay  we  dropped  anchor  near  the 
old  capital,  a ruined  town  depopulated  by  the  plague  in 
former  times,  and  now  a nest  of  malaria  and  fever.  There 
are  a few  new  houses  built  among  the  ruins  since  the  Greek 
occupation,  though  the  majority  of  the  inhabitants  have 
removed  to  the  town  far  above  and  away,  to  secure  them- 
selves alike  from  pirates  and  malaria.  The  weather  cleared 
at  sunset,  the  wind  lulled,  and  we  had  a lovely  moon  for 
a time.  But  soon  the  rain  came  down  again  in  torrents, 
and  continued  to  do  so  throughout  the  night. 

Thursday , November  2 6th. — We  landed  at  9 a.m.,  and 
Evie,  Munie,  and  I on  donkeys,  the  gentlemen  on  foot, 
soon  left  the  dirty  little  town  behind,  and  proceeded  up  the 


AMPHITHEATRE  AT  MILO . 


127 


hill,  along  narrow  paths,  with  walls  on  each  side,  all  built 
of  the  brightest-coloured  marble  and  stones.  In  a little 
while  it  became  necessary  to  dismount  and  scramble  down 
a still  narrower  and  more  rocky  path,  where  the  donkeys 
could  not  go.  This  track  led  to  a curious  subterranean 
grotto,  which  seemed  to  penetrate  many  hundreds  of  yards 
into  the  earth.  There  was  unfortunately  no  time  to  explore 
it.  Another  short  walk  brought  us  to  massive  tufa  walls, 
apparently  of  the  Cyclopean  period.  Soon  after,  on  turning 
a corner,  the  theatre  itself  was  disclosed  to  our  view. 
Here  the  beautiful  Venus  of  Milo  (now  in  the  Louvre  at 
Paris)  was  discovered.  At  the  present  time  there  are  nine 
rows  of  semicircular  seats,  tolerably  perfect,  remaining.  All 
are  of  pure  white  marble,  and  there  are  numberless  slabs 
and  blocks,  beautifully  carved,  lying  about  all  over  the 
ground.  Though  there  are  but  few,  if  any,  travellers,  many 
of  the  peasants  had  beautiful  little  figures,  jars,  lamps, 
coins,  and  seals  to  dispose  of. 

The  situation  of  the  amphitheatre  is  very  beautiful,  on 
the  side  of  a hill  commanding  a lovely  view  of  land,  sea, 
and  islands  to  the  south.  We  wandered  about  a long 
time,  took  several  photographs,  and  then  scrambled  up  the 
hill  again  and  remounted  our  donkeys,  to  climb  a steep 
rocky  path  to  the  little  town  above.  The  ground  was 
covered  with  wild  cyclamen  and  white  crocuses,  and  the 
walls  festooned  with  the  Clematis  montana , while  myrtles 
and  lentisk  grew  in  abundance.  Half  an  hour’s  climb  took 
us  to  the  town,  and  a very  funny  town  it  was,  up  and 
down  the  very  steepest  crags.  It  was  inhabited  by  a race 
of  good-looking  men  and  women  and  pretty  children,  who 
all  came  out  to  look  at  us.  They  had  the  regular  Grecian 


128 


GREEK  CURIOSITY. 


type  of  countenance,  straight  noses,  pretty  mouths,  and 
lovely  large  dark  eyes,  and  all  were  scrupulously  clean. 
Most  of  the  women’s  garments  were  white,  and  there  was 
not  a speck  of  dirt  on  any  of  them.  The  people  not  only 
followed  us  down  the  streets,  but  placed  themselves  in  all 
conceivable  nooks  and  corners.  On  every  house-top,  in 
every  balcony,  out  of  every  window,  peeped  heads,  not  an- 
noying us  in  any  way,  but  simply  indulging  their  curiosity. 


Ruins  of  Amphitheatre  (Milo). 


We  took  some  photographs — a process  which  greatly 
interested  the  natives — then  mounted  our  donkeys  and 
hurried  back  to  the  yacht.  We  should  all  have  liked  to 
remain  another  day,  but  Tom  thought  it  better  to  take 
advantage  of  the  fine  weather  (which  at  this  season  of  the 
year  is  very  precarious)  to  pursue  our  voyage  ; so  by  3.30 
p.m.  we  were  under  weigh,  and  steaming  slowly  out  of  the 
lovely  harbour  of  Milo.  As  there  was  a light  air  outside, 


ZANTE . 


1 29 

the  screw  was  feathered  and  sails  hoisted,  and  we  sailed 
slowly  on  through  the  remainder  of  the  afternoon,  and  all 
through  the  calm,  lovely  night. 

Friday , November  27th. — The  sun  rose,  a few  minutes 
before  7 a.m.,  out  of  the  sea,  and  in  a perfectly  unclouded 
sky,  near  Cape  Malea.  The  wind  was  dead  ahead,  and  as 
we  could  only  beat  slowly  against  it,  it  was  9 p.m.  before 
we  rounded  Cape  Matapan.  The  wind  afterwards  fell 
light,  and  we  got  up  steam  again.  It  had  been  very 
pleasant  all  day,  for  though  we  had  a contrary  wind  we 
were  close  under  a very  lovely  shore,  and  in  perfectly 
smooth  water. 

Saturday , November  2 8t/i. — Soon  after  midnight  it  began 
to  pour  in  torrents,  with  thunder  and  lightning,  which 
continued  till  about  10  a.m.,  when  the  rain  stopped,  and  as 
the  wind  rose  fresh  and  fair,  all  sail  was  again  set.  About 
3.30  p.m.  we  dropped  anchor  in  the  harbour,  or  rather  bay, 
off  the  town  of  Zante.  The  boat  lay  alongside,  ready  for 
us  to  land,  when  first  arrived  the  officer  about  the  bill  of 
health,  then  an  officer  from  the  American  man-of-war 
‘ Alaska,’  with  many  kind  offers  from  the  captain.  We 
begged  him  to  send  their  doctor  on  board,  to  see  our  poor 
sick  man,  who  is  still  suffering  from  fever.  By  the  time 
all  these  visits  were  over,  a terrific  storm  of  thunder  and 
lightning  burst  over  us,  accompanied  by  a deluge  of  hail 
and  rain.  We  therefore  determined,  in  fact  were  obliged, 
to  remain  on  board  the  yacht  for  this  evening.  The 
4 Alaska,’  Captain  Carter,  has  been  out  from  America  a 
year,  and  is  on  her  way  from  Alexandria  to  Malta  and  Villa 
Franca,  to  join  the  squadron  there,  under  Admiral  Worden. 

The  doctor  gave  a very  good  report  of  his  patient,  who 

K 


130 


SMYRNA  FEVER. 


has  had  the  Smyrna  fever  badly.  It  is  now  on  the  turn, 
and  it  was  satisfactory  to  know  that  Tom  and  I had  given 
him  exactly  the  right  remedies.  The  other  man  is  quite 
convalescent.  Happily  this  fever,  though  lowering  and 
disagreeable,  is  neither  dangerous  nor  contagious. 


The  ' Sunbeam  when  first  launched 


A Church  at  Zante. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

ZANTE,  ITHACA,  CEPHALONIA,  CORFU,  AND  ALBANIA. 

All  green  was  it  and  beautiful,  with  flowers  far  and  wide, 

A pleasant  spot,  I ween,  wherein  the  traveller  might  abide. 

Flowers  with  the  sweetest  odour  filled  all  the  sunny  air, 

And  not  alone  refreshed  the  sense,  but  stole  the  mind  from  care. 

Sunday , November  29 th. — A lovely  morning  after  a wet 
night.  We  went  on  shore  to  the  English  church  at  1 1 a.m. 
The  service  was  held  in  a low  damp  room  near  the  sea- 
shore, and  there  were  but  few  people  present.  After 
church  we  strolled  up  the  town,  through  dirty  ill-paved 
streets,  with  a great  many  churches,  and  one  or  two  ap- 
parently good  hotels.  There  is  a nice  market-place,  with 
quantities  of  fish,  poultry,  game,  fruit,  vegetables,  and 
lovely  flowers,  for  sale.  The  inhabitants  are  not  nearly  so 
good-looking  as  those  of  the  other  Greek  islands  we  have 
visited,  and  there  were  marvellously  few  women  about. 


K 2 


132 


PITCH  WELLS. 


After  lunch  on  the  yacht,  we  returned  the  Americans’ 
visit,  on  board  the  ‘ Alaska/  and  then  went  ashore.  It  was 
rather  late,  and  the  carriage  we  had  ordered  had  gone  away, 
tired  of  waiting  for  us.  While  we  waited  on  a doorstep 
for  another,  a violent  shower  came  on,  and  a lady  sent  her 
servant  to  ask  us  to  come  and  take'  refuge  in  her  house. 
We  did  so,  and  found  she  was  the  wife  of  the  principal 
merchant  of  the  place.  She  spoke  Italian  only,  but  was 
most  kind,  and  told  our  new  coachman  where  he  should 
take  us.  The  drive  was  lovely  up  to  the  citadel,  through 
vineyards  and  olive  groves.  All  the  terraces  were  covered 
with  purple  cyclamen  and  white  crocus  in  full  bloom,  the 
stones  were  carpeted  with  lycopodium,  and  wherever  there 
was  a tiny  stream  of  water,  the  wall  formed  a perfect 
curtain  of  maidenhair  fern,  the  long  fronds  waving  in  the 
wind.  The  citadel  (a  Venetian  fortress)  is  now  old  and 
dismantled,  but  there  is  a beautiful  view  from  the  top  over 
the  island  in  every  direction.  It  was  nearly  dark  before  we 
left,  and  we  went  straight  on  board  the  yacht.  We  found 
that  while  we  had  been  away  our  kind  acquaintance  of  this 
morning  had  sent  us  a huge  basket  full  of  the  most  lovely 
flowers,  principally  exquisite  rosebuds,  violets,  heliotropes, 
and  some  green  roses,  which  are  not  so  uncommon  here  as 
in  England,  besides  a quantity  of  delicious  pears  and  apples. 

Monday , November  3 oth. — Another  most  lovely  day. 
We  were  very  anxious  to  go  and  see  the  ‘pitch  wells/  a 
curious  natural  phenomenon,  described  by  Herodotus  more 
than  two  thousand  years  ago,  and  remaining  exactly  in  the 
same  state  at  the  present  day.  The  pitch  may  be  seen 
bubbling  up  through  several  fathoms  of  clear  water,  like  a 
great  india-rubber  bottle,  till  it  bursts  on  reaching  the 


EFFECTS  OF  BAD  GOVERNMENT. 


133 

surface,  when  the  inhabitants  collect  it  and  carry  it  away  in 
jars.  Unfortunately,  the  Greek  government  does  not  keep 
in  repair  the  excellent  roads  made  by  the  English,  so  that 
the  recent  heavy  rains  have  completely  washed  them  away 
in  many  places,  and  it  was  impossible  to  get  to  the  wells. 
We  took,  however,  a lovely  drive  through  vineyards,  orange 
and  olive  groves,  all  along  the  plain.  The  further  we  went 
the  more  we  were  struck  with  the  immense  fertility  and 
beauty  of  this  lovely  island,  which  richly  merits  its  name 
of  ‘ Flower  of  the  Levant.’ 

Every  respectable  person  to  whom  we  have  spoken 
bitterly  laments  the  departure  of  the  English  from  their 
occupation  of  the  islands,  and  gives  the  most  dreadful 
account  of  the  Greek  government,  which,  in  these  islands, 
is  hardly  a government  at  all,  but  simply  a system  of 
bribery  and  corruption.  Robbers  and  marauders  who  can 
pay  a few  piastres  to  the  so-called  police  are  never  taken 
up,  while  poor  but  innocent  men  are  put  in  prison  and 
punished  in  their  stead.  At  the  time  of  the  elections, 
the  bribery  and  corruption  are  worse  than  ever,  and  the 
soldiers  go  into  the  houses  with  fixed  bayonets,  to  drive 
the  unfortunate  voters  to  the  poll.  Under  this  system,  of 
course,  everything  is  going  to  ruin,  roads,  ports,  public 
institutions,  &c.  They  are,  however,  building  a fine  new 
opera-house  here,  and  for  the  present  a very  good  Italian 
company  are  playing  at  a minor  theatre. 

Soon  after  midday  the  anchor  was  again  weighed,  and 
the  yacht  on  her  way  to  Cephalonia.  It  was  a perfect  day, 
and  Zante  looked  lovely  as  we  sailed  along  close  under 
the  coast  till  nearly  past  Cape  Skinari  (the  northern  ex- 
tremity of  the  island),  and  then  made  for  Cape  Seakeas  (the 


13+ 


CEPHALONIA . 


southern  extremity  of  Cephalonia),  Here  we  felt  the  force 
of  the  wind  more,  and  came  in  for  a considerable  roll,  till 
we  turned  into  the  sheltered  bay  leading  up  to  the  harbour 
of  Argostoli,  the  modern  capital  of  the  island.  It  was 
quite  dark  before  we  dropped  our  anchor  in  this  almost 
land-locked  harbour. 


Olive  Gathering,  Cephalonia. 


Tuesday , December  \st. — Another  very  wet  night,  fol- 
lowed by  a lovely  hot  day.  After  an  early  breakfast  we 
landed  and  drove  into  the  town.  There  is  not  much  to 
see,  only  a few  dirty  shops  and  some  insignificant-looking 
buildings  facing  the  sea,  the  road  in  front  forming  a quay, 
about  a mile  long.  The  bay  is  crossed  at  the  end  by  a 
causeway,  about  seven  hundred  yards  long.  Over  this  we 


OLIVE  HARVEST. 


135 


drove,  and  slowly  climbed  the  steep  mountain  on  the  op- 
posite side.  The  bland  of  Cephalonia  is  very  rough  and 
rugged,  and  though  every  scrap  of  ground  is  cultivated  and 
made  the  most  of  for  the  currant  vines,  the  general  effect  is 
bleak  and  bare — very  different  from  Zante.  There  are  no 
orange-trees,  only  old  gnarled  grey  olives,  like  forest-trees. 
From  these  the  natives  are  now  gathering  the  fruit,  and  a 
curious  picturesque  sight  it  is — boys  in  the  trees,  men 
below  beating  the  branches  with  long  sticks,  and  women 
and  girls  picking  up  the  olives  as  they  fall  into  cloths  spread 
underneath.  They  are  then  taken  to  the  mill  and  crushed. 
The  first  good  oil  is  sold  for  exportation,  the  second  pressing 
is  kept  for  home  consumption  by  the  peasants,  or  else  the 
olives  themselves  are  eaten  without  being  pressed  again. 
Olives,  either  pressed  or  unpressed,  form,  with  bread  and 
a little  sour  wine,  the  staple  diet  of  the  peasants  here  ; and 
when  really  ripe  they  contain  so  much  oil  as  to  be  almost 
as  nourishing  as  a meat  diet,  besides  being  much  more 
wholesome  in  a hot  climate. 

A three  hours’  crawl  up  what  had  been  once  a good 
road,  but  is  now  a very  bad  one,  took  us  to  the  top  of  the 
mountain  ridge,  which  runs  across,  or  rather  along,  the 
island.  Here  is  a fine  view  of  the  harbour  and  town  be- 
neath, with  sea  and  islands  beyond.  We  had  lunched,  and 
taken  some  photographs,  when  a smart  shower  of  rain  came 
on.  As  this  seemed  likely  to  last,  we  drove  rapidly  down 
the  hill  again ; but  in  less  than  half  an  hour  were  quite  out 
of  the  clouds,  with  blue  sky  above  us  and  the  sun  shining, 
and  we  spent  some  time  collecting  ferns  and  common  ob- 
jects by  the  sea-shore  before  going  on  board  the  yacht. 

There  is  a very  good  Italian  opera  company  playing 


136 


ITHACA. 


here  as  well  as  at  Zante,  and  we  were  anxious  to  go  and 
hear  them ; but  this  being  the  first  night  of  ‘ Rigoletto,’  it 
was  quite  impossible.  Every  seat  was  taken.  Some  of  the 
servants  went,  and  said  that  the  theatre  was  small,  and  the 
scenery  bad,  but  that  the  acting,  singing,  and  dresses  were 
all  good,  and  that  the  ladies  in  the  boxes  were  very  well 
dressed.  Cephalonia  appears  to  be  the  least  interesting  of 
the  islands,  and  has  the  fewest  classical  associations.  Still, 
there  are  one  or  two  pleasant  excursions  to  be  made. 
Perhaps  the  best  are  to  the  old  Venetian  fortress  of  St. 
George,  and  to  the  house  Lord  Byron  occupied  at  Melaxata, 
from  which  there  is  a beautiful  view. 

Wednesday,  December  2nd. — Still  calm  and  beautiful 
weather.  The  anchor  was  up  by  6 a.m.,  and  we  steamed 
out  of  our  sheltered  harbour,  down  the  coast  of  Cephalonia, 
round  Cape  Seakeas,  along  to  Cape  Monda,  and  then  up 
the  other  or  eastern  side  of  the  island,  towards  the  Bay  of 
Damos.  Here  are  the  remains  of  a Grecian  town  of  the 
same  name,  the  ancient  capital  of  the  island.  We  stretched 
across  to  Ithaca,  and,  running  up  the  eastern  shore,  soon 
came  to  the  narrow  entrance  of  the  gulf  and  port  of  Bathy, 
or  Vathi,  scarcely  visible  among  the  surrounding  rocks. 
We  steamed  up  about  a mile  and  a half,  till  we  were  close 
to  the  town,  and  had  entered  the  most  perfectly  land-locked 
harbour  I ever  saw.  It  reminded  us  rather  of  Norway, 
but  the  mountains  were  all  burnt  and  brown  instead  of 
green,  and  there  was  not  any  snow.  In  fact,  these  islands 
generally  are  in  many  of  their  features  very  like  Norway, 
though,  at  all  events  at  this  time  of  year,  not  so  beau- 
tiful. 

Directly  after  lunch  we  landed,  intending  to  make  a 


THE  GROTTO  OF  ULYSSES . 


137 


long  excursion  to  the  Grotto  of  the  Nymphs  and  Ulysses* 
Castle  ; but,  alas  ! we  found  on  landing  that,  as  in  Homer’s 
time, 

Rough  is  the  land  ; nor  can  we  drive  a car 

Through  the  rude  ways,  for  steeds  impassable  ; 

and  that  all  the  horses,  mules,  and  donkeys  were  employed 
all  over  the  island  in  gathering  in  the  olive  harvest. 
After  considerable  delay  they  found  a very  small  but 
rather  nice  black  donkey,  which  carried  Munie,  and  a 
miserable  specimen  of  a horse,  which  carried  me,  very 
safely,  however,  up  and  down  the  steepest  places,  while 
Evie  and  the  gentlemen  walked  to  the  Grotto  of  the 
Nymphs.  At  first  the  road  led  to  some  windmills,  and 
then  up  extraordinarily  craggy  paths,  till  we  turned  the 
shoulder  of  a steep  mountain,  and  soon  after  reached  the 
grotto.  The  views  all  the  way  up  were  lovely,  looking 
back  over  land  and  sea.  We  crept  into  the  grotto  through 
a tiny  little  hole,  and  though  there  are  several  apertures 
that  admit  daylight,  we  were  obliged  to  have  candles  to 
see  the  stalactites.  It  was  not  so  beautiful  as  we  expected 
from  Homer’s  description,  though  it  answers  to  it  in  all 
material  points,  with  the  light  of  heaven  seen  through  the 
blue  veil  supposed  to  have  been  worn  by  the  nymphs. 

We  scrambled  down  to  the  town  again,  and  walked 
about  among  the  dirty  streets,  which  rise  gradually  from 
the  water’s  edge  to  the  top  of  the  hills  behind,  with  terraced 
gardens  of  oranges,  lemons,  and  flowers  between,  and  with 
lovely  views  over  the  quiet  little  bay,  where  the  water  is 
deep  enough  to  moor  a big  ship  alongside  the  quay.  We 
passed  the  cathedral,  saw  the‘  Cafe  of  Telemachus  ’ — (what 
an  idea ! fancy  Telemachus  and  his  Mentor  taking  their 


138 


ACTIUM. 


after-dinner  coffee  and  ‘ fine  champagne  ’ on  a straw  chair 
in  the  principal  street  of  Vathi !)  We  took  some  photo- 
graphs, bought  some  coarse  pottery,  and  went  on  board 
again.  Many  other  interesting  excursions  may  be  made  in 
the  island,  but  of  course  all  on  horseback.  No  antiquities 
are  to  be  found  here,  no  lace  or  silver  ornaments  or  cups. 
Everything  has  been  collected  by  a Jew  and  taken  to  Corfu. 

To  look  at  this  harbour,  doubly  surrounded  by  high 
mountains,  you  would  think  it  impossible  that  the  effects 
of  any  tempest  would  be  felt.  For  a hundred  years  or 
more  this  has  been  the  case  ; but  last  week,  during  the 
terrible  gales,  this  place,  like  many  others,  came  in  for  a 
perfect  hurricane,  which  did  a great  deal  of  damage. 

Thursday , December  3rd. — The  night  has  been  lovely, 
and  to-day  is  still  more  beautiful.  We  were  under  weigh 
at  6.45  a.m.,  and  the  little  harbour  looked  exquisite  as  we 
left  it,  just  as  the  day  was  breaking,  and  still  more  fair 
half  an  hour  later,  when  the  sun  rose,  gilding  the  mountain- 
tops  or  tinging  them  with  rose  colour,  leaving  light  clouds 
and  mists  hovering  among  the  valleys.  We  steamed 
out  of  the  harbour,  but  as  we  found  a strong  fair  breeze 
outside,  the  screw  was  soon  feathered,  and  we  were  bowling 
along  ten  knots  an  hour  under  the  rocky  coast  of  Santa 
Maura.  About  1 1 a.m.  the  breeze  fell  light,  and  we  lay  for 
a long  time  off  Fort  St.  Maura,  looking  at  Prevesa  and  the 
ruins  of  Nicopolis  on  each  side  of  the  Gulf  of  Arta,  and 
almost  on  the  classic  naval  battle-field  of  Actium,  where 
‘ the  world  was  lost  for  a woman.’  The  lofty  peaks  of  the 
mountains  of  Thessaly  stood  up  in  the  background,  thickly 
covered  with  snow  to  a very  low  level.  In  consequence,  I 
suppose,  of  a westerly  gale,  there  was  a very  heavy  roll, 


CORFU ; 


T39 


and  it  was  a great  relief  when,  about  1.30  p.m.,  the  breeze 
freshened  and  we  were  bowling  along  again  ten  knots, 
the  additional  wind  on  the  sails  keeping  the  yacht  steady. 
Early  in  the  afternoon  the  islands  of  Paros  and  Madonia 
were  passed,  and  soon  after  we  entered  the  channel  of 
Corfu  at  its  southern  extremity,  where  it  is  only  five  miles 
across.  The  island  here  ends  in  abrupt  white  cliffs.  The 
mountain  of  San  Salvador  rises  boldly  up  three  thousand 
feet  from  the  sea,  and,  indeed,  the  whole  of  the  surrounding 
scenery  is  most  striking  and  beautiful.  It  seemed  very 
sad  when  the  short  day  came  to  a close,  for  during  the 
remainder  of  that  night’s  voyage  it  was  too  dark  to  see 
anything  of  the  scenery.  In  fact,  Tom  had  great  difficulty 
in  picking  up  the  anchorage  between  the  island  of  Vido 
and  the  principal  town  of  Corfu,  which  is  called  by  the 
same  name.  We  dropped  anchor  at  11.30  p.m. 

Friday , December  \th. — I was  on  deck  before  daybreak 
and  saw  the  sun  rise  over  this  beautiful  harbour.  The 
town  is  pretty  in  itself,  crowned  by  the  picturesque  old 
citadel.  The  island  is  all  fertility  and  luxuriance,  and  on 
the  opposite  coast,  barely  six  miles  off,  the  snowy  moun- 
tains of  Albania  form  a lovely  panorama.  It  was  a lovely 
morning,  and  after  an  early  breakfast  we  read  our  welcome 
letters  from  home,  landed,  and  strolled  about  the  town, 
before  driving  out  to  Pelleki,  where  we  lunched  and  spent  a 
most  enjoyable  day.  The  drive  itself  was  lovely,  principally 
through  groves  of  hoary  old  olive-trees,  over  three  hundred 
years  old.  At  the  village  we  left  the  carriage  and  climbed 
up,  in  about  ten  minutes,  to  the  top  of  the  mountain,  from 
which  we  had  a magnificent  view  of  land  and  sea  on  every 
side.  On  our  way  down  we  had  a better  opportunity  of 


140 


ALBANIA . 


noting  the  wonderful  luxuriance  of  the  country,  the  valleys 
being  in  the  highest  state  of  cultivation.  We  looked  in  at 
one  or  two  shops,  but  found  them  all  kept  by  Jews,  and 
the  prices  too  absurdly  high  to  lead  one  into  much  temp- 
tation. We  dined  at  the  table  d'hote  at  1.30  p.m.,  in  a 
front  room,  with  a lovely  view  over  the  promenade  to  the 
sea  and  the  mountains  of  the  opposite  coast  beyond.  The 
old  palace  of  the  Lord  High  Commissioner  of  the  Islands 
is  a beautiful  building,  and  looks  over  a luxuriant  garden 
at  one  end  of  the  promenade,  full  of  palms,  cacti,  orange 
aad  lemon  trees,  and  semi-exotics  of  all  kinds. 

Saturday , December  5 th . — Yesterday  Tom  had  engaged 
the  services  of  an  experienced  sportsman,  who,  with  two 
nice  dogs,  came  on  board  by  5 a.m.  By  6 a.m.  we  were 
under  weigh,  and  soon  after  8 a.m.  we  dropped  anchor  near 
the  river  Butrinto,  in  Albania.  During  our  short  steam 
across,  one  of  the  side-lights  was  unfortunately  left  open. 
I was  in  my  room,  when  I suddenly  heard  and  saw  a wave 
dashing  along  the  passage,  and  on  going  outside  my  maid 
and  I found  ourselves  ankle-deep  in  water,  which  was 
pouring  in  in  torrents  through  the  open  port-hole  in 
Mr.  Crake’s  berth,  and  was  rapidly  overflowing  everything. 
Assistance  was  speedily  called  and  the  side-light  screwed 
up,  but  not  before  Mr.  Bingham,  who  performed  that 
operation,  had  received  a most  uncomfortable  bath,  and 
the  cabin  and  everything  in  it  had  been  flooded.  At 
8.30  a.m.  we  got  into  the  large  cutter,  for  it  was  blowing 
hard,  and  by  9 a.m.  we  had  landed  the  gentlemen,  with 
some  sailors  to  beat  for  them,  while  Evie,  Munie,  and  I 
rowed  on  in  the  boat  to  the  mouth  of  the  Butrinto,  and 
then  up  the  river  itself. 


UP  THE  BUTRIN  TO. 


141 


It  was  rather  fun,  exploring  by  ourselves,  though  the 
banks  of  the  river  were  marshy  and  uninteresting.  The 
numerous  birds,  however,  quite  made  up  for  the  want  of 
scenery,  and  they  were  all  so  tame  that  they  let  us  approach 
quite  near.  Flights  of  wild  ducks,  cormorants,  magpies, 
turkey-buzzards,  hawks,  curious  black  ducks,  lovely  white 
birds  of  the  hawk  tribe  with  long  white  tails,  exquisite 
light-blue  kingfishers,  flitted  to  and  fro,  besides  many  other 
small  birds.  About  a mile  and  a half  brought  us  to  the 


An  Extra  Bath. 


large  fisheries  established  at  the  exit  of  the  river  from  the 
lake  of  the  same  name.  There  our  further  progress  was 
barred  by  an  elaborate  system  of  fisheries.  We  got  out, 
bought  some  fish,  took  some  photographs,  and  asked  if 
neither  love  nor  money  would  persuade  them  to  open  us  a 
passage.  I could  not  speak  Greek,  and  our  interpreter’s 
persuasions  were  not  effectual.  But  we  found  that  by  landing 
on  the  opposite  side,  and  engaging  a soldier  to  show  us  the 
way  and  protect  us,  we  could  reach  the  top  of  an  old  ruined 


14: 


VIEW  OF  THE  LAKE . 


Byzantine  castle,  from  which  a fine  view  of  the  lake  might 
be  obtained. 

This  we  accordingly  did,  but  on  relanding  we  found  a 
sort  of  morass,  or  rather  shallow  lake,  between  us  and  our 
path.  This  looked  rather  formidable,  but  as  we  were 
determined  not  to  be  defeated  in  our  object,  Evie  and  I 
took  off  our  shoes  and  stockings  and  waded  through,  rather 
to  the  disgust  of  the  soldier,  I think,  who  thought  he  was 
going  to  earn  his  pay  with  very  little  trouble.  A quarter 
of  an  hour’s  walk  brought  us  to  the  top  of  the  castle,  where 
a fine  view  of  the  lake  rewarded  us.  It  is  really  a beautiful 
piece  of  water,  surrounded  by  mountains,  and  bordered  by 
forest  trees  of  every  description,  now  gay  with  their  autumn 
tints.  It  was  a very  showery  day,  and  as  the  rain  soon 
began  to  descend  in  torrents,  we  paddled  back  to  the  boat 
as  fast  as  we  could,  and  set  sail  down  the  river  again.  A 
violent  squall  of  wind,  rain,  and  hail  came  (luckily  from  a 
favourable  quarter),  and  we  flew  down  the  river  with  two 
reefs  in  our  sail,  the  task  of  steering  taking  all  my  time. 
When  we  got  outside  in  the  open  sea,  it  was  fearfully  rough, 
and  we  shipped  a good  deal  of  water  trying  to  get  off  to 
the  yacht.  We  therefore  turned  the  boat’s  head  round  and 
crept  along  the  shore,  under  lee  of  the  land,  till  we  saw  the 
gentlemen  waiting  for  us.  The  bad  weather  had  compelled 
them  to  give  up  their  sport  sooner  than  they  intended. 

They  had  had  a pleasant  morning  on  the  whole,  and 
saw  quantities  of  game — three  and  four  woodcocks  rising 
from  one  bush  at  a time.  They  brought  home  a good  many 
woodcock,  and  a few  snipe  and  quail,  but  failed  to  secure 
any  wild  duck.  Pigs  they  did  not  attempt.  Last  year 
Sir  David  Baird  and  his  brother  killed  five  hundred  head  in 


A SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE. 


M3 


four  days,  pig,  wild  duck,  woodcock,  snipe,  and  quail ; and 
five  guns  of  another  party  killed  four  hundred  and  twenty 
couple  of  woodcock  in  two  days.  This  is  just  the  season 
for  woodcock,  and  I can  fancy  nothing  more  delightful 
to  the  sportsman  than  a month  on  this  coast,  shifting  his 
anchorage  to  a different  bay,  each  lovely,  every  few  days, 
and,  if  he  wants  more  change  and  excitement,  going  up  into 
the  mountains  after  deer,  ibex,  and  chamois.  Ladies,  too, 
might  amuse  themselves  very  well.  There  are  many  charm- 
ing excursions,  good  paths,  and  no  fear  of  brigands.  If 
they  were  artists,  botanists,  anglers,  or  photographers,  they 
would  find  more  than  enough  to  occupy  them. 

It  was  very  pleasant  to  get  on  board,  change  our  wet 
clothes,  and  lunch  in  front  of  a warm  fire.  Our  short 
voyage  back  to  Corfu  in  the  yacht  was  not  pleasant,  there 
being  a strong  gale  ahead  and  torrents  of  rain,  so  that, 
though  there  was  not  much  sea  in  this  narrow  channel,  we 
pitched  and  rolled  considerably.  We  dropped  anchor  about 
5 p.m.,  and  went  ashore,  to  dine  at  the  table  d'hote , intending 
to  go  to  the  opera  afterwards.  Unfortunately,  however,  the 
tenor  and  baritone  were  both  ill  (perhaps  because  it  was 
such  a bad  night),  and  there  was  no  opera.  There  seems 
a fate  against  our  opera-going  in  the  Ionian  Islands.  When 
we  went  off  to  the  yacht,  the  gale  had  ceased,  it  was  a flat 
calm,  and  the  stars  were  shining  brightly. 

Sunday , December  6th. — A lovely  day.  One  friend  sent 
me  a very  large  and  lovely  bouquet,  and  another  the  most 
enormous  lemon  I ever  saw,  weighing  four  pounds.  I 
took  the  opportunity  of  photographing  the  men  in  their 
Sunday  clothes  before  going  to  church.  The  English 
church  is  a pretty  little  building,  well  fitted  up  inside,  the 


144 


SOUVENIR  OF  BRITISH  RULE. 


choir  very  good.  We  met  several  acquaintances  coming 
out  of  church,  and  went  with  some  of  them  to  the  citadel, 
to  see  the  beautiful  view  and  the  old  English  church,  now 
used  by  the  Greeks,  and  the  barracks.  The  first  thing  that 
strikes  the  eye  on  entering  is  the  place  whence  the  English 
arms  were  cut  down,  their  outline  being  still  clearly  visible. 
Scarcely  anyone  in  England,  perhaps,  knows  how  bitterly 
these  poor  islanders  lament  the  loss  of  British  rule,  under 


Some  of  oar  Crew 


which  at  one  time  they  used  to  complain  that  they  were 
only  slaves.  They  find  the  difference  now,  when  the  Greek 
government  neglects  them  utterly,  except  to  impose  enor- 
mous taxes  ; and  the  patriotic  idea  of  being  governed  by  a 
Greek  king  does  not  seem  to  console  them  much. 

Our  drive  took  us  from  the  citadel  to  Garousta,  a 
village  eight  miles  off,  near  which  we  lunched  on  a sort 
of  natural  terrace,  beneath  the  shade  of  some  olive-trees, 


IONIAN  WOMEN. 


'45 

overlooking  a most  luxuriant  plain.  After  luncheon 
we  went  on  through  the  village  and  found  the  women 
most  picturesquely  dressed.  Their  hair  was  done  into 
thick  plaits,  interwoven  with  red  ribbon,  arranged  on  each 
side  of  their  faces  ; over  their  heads  they  had  a long  white 
handkerchief,  with  open-work  embroidered  ends.  A dark 
blue  petticoat,  a black  striped  apron  tied  with  broad  light 


Citadel,  Corfu. 


blue  ribbons,  a black  velvet  jacket  with  little  tails,  some- 
thing like  a habit,  and  embroidered  with  gold  at  all  the 
seams,  worn  over  a full  white  shirt,  and  sometimes  a 
coloured  waistcoat  in  between,  completed  their  costume. 
The  women  themselves  are  very  good-looking  while  they 
are  young,  though  they  age  somewhat  prematurely.  In 
the  towns  there  is  little  noticeable  in  the  way  of  costume, 


L 


146 


THE  SHIP  OF  ULYSSES. 


but  at  all  the  wells  in  the  country  the  traveller  meets 
beautiful  groups  of  picturesquely  dressed  girls  bearing 
pitchers  on  their  heads,  and  having  the  ‘ immemorial 
gossip  at  the  fountain  side.’ 

We  drove  to  the  house  of  the  present  Greek  minister  in 
London.  He  owns  a large  amount  of  property  in  the 
island.  His  house  stands  in  lovely  gardens,  the  walks 
about  which  command  a series  of  fine  views  over  the  sea, 
the  adjacent  islands,  and  the  mainland.  The  drive  home 
v/as  very  pleasant,  looking  through  the  trees  on  to  the  sea. 
In  one  of  the  bays  is  an  island  which  bears  a fancied  re- 
semblance to  a vessel,  and  claims  to  be  the  ship  of  Ulysses, 
or  rather  the  Phaeacian  galley  which  was  sent  to  convoy 
him  and  became  suddenly  petrified.  We  stopped  at  the 
King’s  palace,  which  looked  like  a pleasantly  furnished 
country  house,  with  a beautiful  terrace  commanding  the 
most  exquisite  views,  and  with  winding  paths  leading, 
through  orange  and  myrtle  groves,  to  the  beach.  From 
the  palace  to  the  One  Gun  Battery  is  a charming  drive 
of  about  a mile  and  a half. 

But  it  was  now  quite  dark,  and  there  was  no  time  to  go 
to  the  river  on  the  way  to  Govino,  where  Nausicaa  is  said 
to  have  met  Ulysses.  We  were  therefore  obliged  to  go 
straight  on  board  the  yacht,  to  receive  some  friends  to 
dinner.  At  10  p.m.  we  had  to  say  good-bye  ; they  went 
ashore,  and  soon  after  we  were  steaming  away  down  the 
narrow  strait  on  our  way  to  Cape  Bianco.  It  seems  a pity 
to  be  obliged  to  leave  Corfu  so  soon.  I should  have  liked 
to  stay  some  time  longer.  I hope  it  may  not  be  many 
years  before  we  are  able  to  see  more  of  the  beauties  and 
sport  of  this  highly  favoured  island. 


GREEN  ROSES. 


147 


Both  here  and  at  Zante  green  roses  are  grown.  I had 
several  sent  me  in  bouquets,  exactly  like  pink  or  red  roses, 
only  the  petals  were  a bright  green.  They  are  more  curi- 
ous than  beautiful  ; but  their  rarity  would  make  them 
valuable  in  England. 


An  unpleasant  Demand  for  Ammunition. 


CHAPTER  X. 


PAXOS,  SPARTIVENTO,  MESSINA,  AND  NAPLES. 

Tossing  about  on  the  roaring  sea , 

From  billow  to  bounding  billow  cast, 

Like  fleecy  snow  on  the  stormy  blast ; 

The  sails  are  scattered  abroad , like  weeds  ; 

The  strong  masts  shake , like  qziivering  reeds. 

Monday , December  Jth. — I am  sorry  to  say  we  must 
consider  our  pleasant  voyage  nearly  at  an  end,  for  we  are 
really  ‘homeward-bound’  now,  and  our  only  consideration 
is  how  to  get  home  as  fast  as  possible,  with  a due  attention 
to  comfort,  and  not  being  at  sea  too  long  at  one  time. 
Since  we  left  England,  on  September  13,  we  have  been 
exceptionally  fortunate  in  the  weather  at  sea  ; and  though 
we  have  of  course  had  some  rough  gales,  and  they  have 
this  year  been  even  more  severe  than  usual  in  the  Medi- 
terranean, they  have  always  occurred  when  we  were  in  port 
or  under  shelter  of  islands.  The  number  of  narrow  straits 
we  have  navigated,  and  ports  we  have  entered,  both  by 
day  and  night,  would  have  been  creditable  to  a profes- 
sional, much  more  to  an  amateur.  By  occasionally  heav- 
ing-to  for  meals,  Tom  has  enabled  all  his  passengers  to 
appear  at  dinner  every  night  since  our  departure  from 
England,  however  ill  they  may  have  been  at  other  times 
of  the  day.  All  our  expeditions  have  proved  successful 
and  a great  enjoyment  to  us  all.  Our  only  disappointment 
has  been  missing  the  visit  to  Roumania,  especially  as 


OUR  HEALTH  REPORT. 


149 


everything  had  been  arranged  so  pleasantly  for  us,  and 
the  unfortunate  misreading  of  the  telegram  caused  the 
Prince  and  Princess  so  much  unnecessary  trouble. 

Of  course,  with  forty  people  on  board,  we  have  had 
numerous  cases  of  illness  incidental  to  hot  climates,  but 
the  patients  have  all  recovered  wonderfully  well.  One  or 
two  of  the  men  have  caused  us  some  anxiety  for  two  or 
three  days,  when  out  of  reach  of  a doctor ; but  when  we 
have  arrived  at  a port,  and  the  doctor  has  come  on  board, 
we  have  each  time  had  the  satisfaction  of  hearing  that  the 
case  could  not  have  been  treated  better.  The  Board  of 
Trade  and  Dr.  Lankester’s  medical  books,  with  Dr.  Wilson’s 
medicine  chest,  are  simply  invaluable.  Munie  has  not  had 
a day’s  illness  the  whole  time,  and  is  wonderfully  grown 
and  improved,  as  strong  as  a little  horse,  and  a most 
independent  plucky  little  thing.  She  goes  out  with  us  for 
long  expeditions  quite  alone,  and  is  as  happy  as  possible  at 
a picnic,  or  in  charge  of  the  ruffianly-looking  Turk  or 
Greek  to  whom  her  donkey  may  happen  to  belong.  She 
will  not  condescend  to  ride  the  same  animal  with  anybody 
else  ; and  finding  that  the  strange  men  cannot  understand 
her  chatter,  she  amuses  herself  by  singing  the  whole  way. 

If  only  our  voyage  ends  as  prosperously  as  it  has 
begun,  and  gone  on  so  far,  and  we  find  ourselves  safe  back 
in  Old  England  early  in  the  new  year,  we  cannot  be  suf- 
ficiently thankful.  We  are  sorry  not  to  have  time  to  go 
up  the  Adriatic,  or  to  Venice  ; but  it  leaves  for  another 
year  a pleasant  cruise,  which  would  bring  us  near  these 
lovely  islands  again.  Some  of  them  are  very  beautiful,  es- 
pecially Milo,  Zante,  and  Corfu ; but  with  others  we  have 
been  rather  disappointed.  They  are  not  to  be  compared 


150 


WATERSPOUTS . 


with  Sicily,  which  is  a capital  cruising  ground  for  a yacht; 
and  if  only  the  brigandage  could  be  put  an  end  to,  so  that 
one  might  move  about  without  fear  in  the  interior,  it  would 
be,  to  my  idea,  the  most  perfect  winter  residence  in  the  world. 

At  3 a.m.  we  left  Paxos  behind.  About  9.30  a.m. 
we  were  all  called  in  a great  hurry  to  see  a waterspout. 
The  sea  was  rushing  up  violently  like  an  immense  fountain 
jet,  while  from  the  cloud  above,  which  was  intensely  black, 
an  inverted  cone  came  down  to  meet  the  sea.  Another 
waterspout,  farther  off,  looked  like  a long  black  trough, 
pouring  down  from  the  heavens  above  into  the  cone-shaped 
fountain  in  the  sea  beneath.  While  we  were  all  gazing  at 
these  over  the  starboard  side,  another  small  waterspout 
rushed  by  under  our  stern,  so  close  that  the  man  steering, 
using  the  sailor’s  proverbial  expression,  said  ‘you  could 
have  pitched  a biscuit  into  it,’  and  before  he  could  even 
call  us  to  look,  it  was  miles  away,  so  swiftly  was  it  flying. 
It  was  a fortunate  chance  it  missed  us,  for  these  water- 
spouts are  very  dangerous,  the  force  with  which  the  water 
falls  often  driving  ships’  decks  in,  and  sometimes  causing 
them  to  founder.  Men-of-war  frequently  fire  into  and 
break  them  to  prevent  such  an  accident. 

At  noon  we  were  128  miles  from  Corfu.  Latitude 
38°  42'  N.,  longitude  180  33' E.  The  sea  was  fairly  smooth, 
with  a long  roll  from  the  westward,  telling  of  recent  gales. 
About  3 p.m.  a breeze  sprang  up.  We  then  ceased  steam- 
ing, and  set  all  sails  as  quickly  as  possible. 

Tuesday , December  2>th. — This  is  one  of  the  days  so 
trying  to  everybody  on  board.  A heavy  swell  from  one 
quarter,  and  a short  confused  sea  from  another  ; the  wind 
flying  round  to  every  quarter  of  the  compass,  sometimes 


MESSINA. 


151 

violent  squalls,  sometimes  no  wind  at  all  ; so  that  the  men 
were  setting  sails  and  taking  them  in  all  day,  and  the 
funnel  was  up  and  down  more  than  once.  Altogether  it 
was  a most  unpleasant,  laborious,  and  unsatisfactory  day. 
Everybody  was  more  or  less  uncomfortable,  and  nothing 
was  gained.  At  noon  we  had  sailed  130  miles  since  noon 
yesterday.  Latitude  370  13'  N.,  longitude  1 6°  ii'  E.  Soon 
after  sunset  the  wind  really  dropped  for  good,  and  by  mid- 
night we  were  steaming  along  full  speed. 

Wednesday , December  gtk. — Shortly  after  midnight  we 
made  the  light  on  Cape  Spartivento,  having  sailed  since 
noon  a distance  of  99  miles.  We  steamed  up  the 
straits,  and  at  daybreak  I came  on  deck.  The  weather 
was  beautifully  fine,  and  soon  after  the  sun  rose  clear  and 
bright,  and  shone  on  Mount  Etna,  now  much  more 
covered  with  snow  than  when  we  passed  it  two  months 
ago.  At  7.30  a.m.  we  dropped  anchor  in  the  harbour  at 
Messina,  and  the  steward  went  ashore  for  some  fresh 
provisions.  Soon  after  breakfast  we  landed,  posted  some 
letters,  got  some  money  at  the  bank,  and  then  drove  to 
some  lovely  gardens  just  outside  the  town  beyond  the 
Marina.  They  are  all  laid  out  in  terraces  down  to  the 
sea,  and  planted  with  orange,  lemon,  and  myrtle  trees,  with 
rare  and  beautiful  shrubs  in  between.  Some  of  the  hedges 
were  of  mandarine  oranges,  beautifully  trained  over  wire 
fences,  with  the  clusters  of  green  and  golden  fruit  hanging 
down  in  profusion.  There  was  a shrub  called  Duranta, 
with  leaves  like  a bay,  and  long  clusters  of  pale  yellow 
berries  like  grapes  ; another  smaller  shrub,  with  black 
berries  on  coral-coloured  stalks  ; and  curious  lilies,  whose 
flowers  more  resembled  the  head  of  some  tropical  bird  with 


I52 


A CIRCULAR  STORM. 


a gorgeous  crest  than  any  known  blossom.  The  camellias 
were  not  quite  out,  but  there  was  a profusion  of  heliotrope, 
carnations,  roses,  and  geraniums.  We  gathered  and  ate  as 
many  oranges  as  we  liked.  We  had  large  bouquets  given 
us,  besides  the  flowers  we  plucked  for  ourselves,  and  when 
we  left  the  people  were  more  than  delighted  with  five  francs 
— a very  pleasant  and  not  an  expensive  morning’s  enter- 
tainment. 

The  steward  arrived  soon  after  our  return  on  board, 
and  by  i p.m.  we  were  steaming  away  out  of  the  straits.  On 
getting  outside  we  set  sail  and  ceased  steaming,  and  soon 
began  to  feel  a most  disagreeable  roll.  The  glass  fell,  and 
there  was  a bad  sunset  ; but  as  the  wind  was  fair,  and  the 
yacht  was  running  along  before  it,  Tom  did  not  like  to  turn 
back.  By  7 p.m.  we  were  close  to  Stromboli,  which  was 
sending  out  flames  and  smoke.  By  10  p.m.  we  had  all 
retired  to  bed.  The  wind  freshened  and  veered  to  the 
north,  and  the  glass  fell  rapidly.  Tom  put  the  yacht’s 
head  round,  and  we  flew  back  towards  Messina,  tossing  and 
tumbling  about  in  the  heavy  swell.  At  1 a.m.  the  wind 
shifted  again  to  the  southward,  and  at  2 p.m.  everything 
looked  brighter  and  the  glass  rose.  Isaac,  the  mate,  woke 
Tom,  and  urged  our  turning  round.  This  we  unfortunately 
did,  and  pursued  our  course  towards  Naples  again.  We 
went  a tremendous  pace,  in  spite  of  the  heavy  head  swell, 
but  it  was  most  uncomfortable. 

Thursday,  December  10th. — At  9 a.m.  we  had  nearly 
regained  the  sixty  miles  we  had  run  back  in  the  night,  but 
were  consequently  again  nearer  the  centre  of  the  storm. 
The  glass  fell,  and  the  wind  rose.  Tom  thought  of  turning 
back,  but,  the  wind  still  being  fair,  determined  to  continue 


DRIVEN  BACK  TO  MESSINA. 


153 


towards  Naples.  At  noon  a very  heavy  squall  struck  the 
yacht  without  any  previous  warning.  Luckily  we  were  able 
to  put  her  down  before  the  wind,  and  lower  everything  on  to 
the  deck,  before  much  harm  was  done.  The  sea  now  became 
terrific,  with  thunder,  lightning,  and  torrents  of  rain.  The 
wind  flew  round  to  the  north  again,  and  then  Tom  put  her 
head  round  and  determined  to  run  back  for  Messina.  The 
yacht  had  behaved  beautifully  through  it  all ; but  it  was  very 
miserable  on  board,  and  the  prospect  of  being  hove-to  for 
three  or  four  days  in  the  middle  of  this  stormy  sea,  if  the 
gale  continued  or  increased  (which  seemed  only  too  probable 
from  the  look  of  sky  and  sea  and  the  behaviour  of  the 
mercury  in  the  barometer),  was  not  cheerful.  The  after- 
noon and  night  were  wretched  ; the  wind  whistling,  the 
sea  roaring,  the  thunder  and  lightning  increasing,  and  the 
rain  flowing  down  in  sheets.  The  sea  was  intensely  phos- 
phorescent, causing  Tom  to  remark  that  when  the  water 
came  over  her,  deck,  deckhouse,  sails,  and  canvas,  all 
looked  as  if  they  were  on  fire.  We  never  shipped  a real 
sea  all  the  time,  though  we  had  plenty  of  water  on  board, 
and  we  went  tearing  along,  sometimes  up  and  sometimes 
down,  sometimes  through  and  sometimes  over  the  waves, 
with  only  a little  pocket-handkerchief  of  a trysail  and  a rag 
of  a jib,  all  reefs  down.  Stromboli  was  fortunately  in  the 
full  blaze  of  an  eruption,  and  served  as  a beneficent  light- 
house, to  guide  us  through  the  inky  darkness  of  the  night. 

Friday , December  nth. — We  were  off  the  Faro  of 
Messina  about  3 a.m.,  and  hove-to  till  daylight.  Steam 
was  then  got  up,  and  by  10  a.m.  we  were  once  more  safely 
anchored  in  the  harbour  of  Messina.  Very  thankful  we 
were  to  be  there,  though  it  is  provoking  to  have  endured  so 


154 


CHURCH  OF  THE  GRECI. 


much  discomfort  for  forty-five  hours,  only  to  find  ourselves 
back  at  the  place  whence  we  started.  Tom,  however,  was 
glad  to  have  so  thoroughly  tried  the  yacht,  and  found  what 
a fine  sea-boat  she  is.  We  were  all  good-for-nothing  for 
a while,  but  we  landed,  lunched  on  shore,  and  went  for  a 
stroll  through  some  lovely  gardens,  stretching  up  to  the 
summit  of  a hill  commanding  a fine  view  over  the  town 
and  bay.  On  the  way  down  we  stopped  at  the  church  of 


The  Smoking  Room. 


the  Greci,  the  whole  of  the  walls  and  ceilings  of  which  are 
beautifully  inlaid  with  mosaics  of  the  choicest  marbles,  as 
well  as  lapis  lazuli,  malachite,  and  agate.  There  is  a large 
convent  attached,  and  some  of  the  nuns  came  and  spoke  to 
us  through  the  grating.  We  dined  at  the  table  d'hote , went 
on  board  soon  after,  and  retired  to  bed  early,  thankful 
for  the  prospect  of  a quiet  night. 

Saturday , December  1 2th. — To  our  mutual  regret  Mr. 
Crake  decided  to  land  and  find  his  own  way  home,  our 


THE  ITALIAN  OPERA . 


155 


return  being  so  very  uncertain  in  this  bad  weather,  and  he 
being  tied  to  time.  As  the  day  looked  favourable,  it  was 
determined  to  make  a start.  Fires  were  lighted,  and  we 
went  ashore  to  post  some  letters.  At  noon,  on  return- 
ing on  board,  the  day  had  completely  changed  and  the 
glass  gone  down,  so  our  start  was  postponed.  We  went 
ashore  and  walked  to  the  Capuchin  convent  on  a hill  behind 
the  town,  from  which  there  is  a fine  view.  As  a steamer 
from  Naples,  on  her  way  to  Malta,  had  arrived  during  our 
absence,  we  sent  on  board  to  enquire  about  the  weather. 
All  her  boats  were  stowed  inboard,  and  her  skylights  and 
hatches  battened  down.  She  had  had  a terrible  passage, 
and,  after  waiting  three  days  at  Naples  for  the  gale  to  break, 
had  been  three  days  coming  from  that  port,  her  average 
run  being  eighteen  or  twenty  hours.  No  cooking  of  any 
sort  could  be  done  on  board,  and  the  passengers  seemed  in  a 
most  abject  state  of  misery.  She  brought  news  of  the  mails 
being  stopped  and  the  telegraph  wires  broken  by  the  gales. 

In  the  evening  we  went  to  the  Italian  Opera,  at  a nice, 
dean,  well-ventilated  little  theatre.  The  large  house  is 
shut  up  for  want  of  funds.  This  theatre  was  crammed 
with  nice-looking  people.  The  opera,  by  a man  named 
Domenio,  was  a rather  amusing  travesty  of  Rossini’s 
x Barbiere  di  Siviglia,’  and  was  not  badly  performed  on  the 
whole.  It  was  a lovely  moonlight  night,  as  we  walked  back 
to  the  boat  and  rowed  on  board,  and  we  hoped  to  make 
a fresh  start  in  the  morning.  Not  long  after  we  were  in 
bed,  however,  there  came  a tremendous  downpour  of  rain, 
accompanied  by  thunder  and  lightning.  About  2 a.m.,  a 
violent  squall  struck  us,  making  the  yacht  heel  right  over, 
even  though  everything  had  been  housed,  and  topmasts 


156 


TAORMINA . 


struck,  so  as  to  offer  as  little  resistance  to  the  wind  as 
possible.  The  deck  was  flooded  with  water  from  hail  and 
rain,  which  came  down  in  sheets.  It  was  certainly  a terrific 
night,  and  we  were  all  most  thankful  that  Tom  had  taken  so 
much  trouble  to  pick  out  the  very  snuggest  corner  in  this 
well-sheltered  harbour. 

Sunday , December  13th. — Day  broke  and  the  sun  rose 
on  an  apparently  fine  morning  ; but  as  the  glass  was  again 
down,  Tom  thought  we  had  better  go  and  see  Taormina,  one 
of  the  finest  ruins  in  Sicily.  We  took  our  lunch  with  us, 
and  went  by  train  to  Giardini,  along  the  pretty  coast  line 
close  to  the  shore.  From  the  station  a good  carriage  road 
leads  to  the  town  of  Taormina  and  the  ruins  of  the  ancient 
Greek  and  Roman  amphitheatres  above.  Evie  and  I drove 
along  the  carriage  road,  while  the  gentlemen  took  the 
short  cut.  Our  road  commanded  exquisite  views  at  every 
turn.  From  the  village  a steep  walk  of  a few  hundred 
yards  took  us  to  the  theatre,  which  is  certainly  built  in  one 
of  the  most  beautiful  situations  in  the  world.  It  is  the  only 
Greek  theatre  of  which  the  scena  still  remains,  as  well  as 
the  seats,  with  all  the  Roman  additions  and  alterations. 
The  dressing-rooms  and  entrances  for  the  actors  may  still 
be  seen,  with  the  water-clock  by  which  their  performances 
were  timed,  the  seats  of  the  vestal  virgins,  the  entrances 
for  the  ladies,  gentlemen,  plebeians,  patricians,  and  senators, 
and  stalls  for  the  sellers  of  playbills  or  refreshments. 
No  words  can  describe  the  exquisite  loveliness  of  the  view 
on  all  sides.  Fancy  stepping  out  of  your  private  box  at 
a theatre  on  to  a narrow  ledge  of  rock  at  the  top  of 
a sheer  precipice  of  900  feet,  facing  the  sea,  and  com- 
manding most  lovely  views  up  and  down  the  straits  to 


THE  AMPHITHEATRE, 


157 


the  Faro  on  one  side  and  to  Cape  Augusta  on  the  other; 
while  the  eye  ranges  to  Etna,  and  other  mountains  and 
valleys  stretch  away,  with  villages  dotted  about  in  every 
direction.  We  had  a long  chat  with  the  intelligent  old 
custode , who  has  been  there  thirty-eight  years,  and  who 
superintended  all  the  excavations  and  restorations  himself. 
He  has  plans  of  the  whole  as  it  was  under  the  Greeks, 
Romans,  Saracens,  and  Normans,  and  as  it  is  now  ; and 


Amphitheatre,  Taormina. 


under  his  guidance  it  was  most  interesting  to  trace  all  the 
transitions  which  it  has  undergone.  It  was  a glorious  day 
in  spite  of  the  wind,  and  we  were  all  very  sorry  to  be 
obliged  to  tear  ourselves  away  to  catch  the  3.30  p.m.  train. 
Our  drive  down  the  hill  to  the  station  was  very  rapid,  and 
we  were  back  at  Messina  in  time  for  six  o’clock  dinner. 

Monday,  December  14 th. — Though  the  glass  was  low,  the 
fair  wind  and  the  beauty  of  the  day  determined  us  to  make 


58 


FRESH  START  FROM  MESSINA. 


another  start.  As  soon  as  we  got  outside  the  harbour  we 
gave  a most  tremendous  roll,  which  was  so  unexpected 
that  it  sent  many  things  adrift.  We  got  on  pretty  well 
through  the  day,  and  by  sunset  found  ourselves  off  the 
Lipari  Islands.  They  are  very  picturesque  in  form,  and 
but  little  known,  there  being,  I believe,  only  one  good  har- 
bour, that  at  Lipari  itself.  Stromboli  was  more  than 
usually  active,  and  looked  really  very  grand.  The  weather 
was  still  gloomy,  and  continued  squalls  of  wind  and  rain 
passed  over  our  heads,  accompanied  by  thunder  and  light- 
ning in  the  distance.  About  1 1 p.m.,  just  as  everybody 
except  the  watch  had  gone  to  bed,  a most  terrific  squall 
struck  us  and  threw  us  on  our  beam-ends,  lee-rail  and 
boats’  davits  being  under  water  in  an  instant.  Happily 
the  boats  were  on  board  and  well  secured,  or  they  would 
have  been  lost  and  the  davits  carried  away,  as  in  the  case 
of  the  ill-fated  ‘ La  Plata.’  Everything  had  been  made 
safe  on  board,  canvas  having  been  lashed  over  all  the 
skylights  and  doors  ; and  as  we  were  running  under  a 
three-reefed  trysail  on  the  mizen  and  a rag  of  a staysail 
only,  the  yacht  was  down  again  before  the  wind  in  a 
minute,  and  no  harm  done.  We  had  several  more  squalls 
during  the  night,  but  none  quite  so  bad  as  this. 

Tuesday , December  i$tk. — In  the  morning  the  glass 
was  still  falling,  and  Tom  thought  it  better  to  run  for  shelter 
to  Naples,  instead  of  trying  to  get  on  to  Leghorn.  After 
a very  rough,  disagreeable  morning,  we  were  off  the  island  of 
Ischia  about  2 p.m.,  and  dropped  anchor  inside  the  Mole  at 
Naples  just  after  dark.  The  weather  had  cleared  a little 
at  sunset,  and  the  far-famed  bay  looked  very  lovely  as  we 
came  in  past  the  islands  of  Ischia  and  Procida,  the  bays  of 


NAPLES. 


159 


Baiae  and  Posilippo,  &c.  We  had  some  difficulty  in  getting 
pratique  after  sunset,  but  succeeded  at  last,  and  were  able 
to  send  the  steward  ashore  and  get  our  letters  and  news- 
papers— a large  and  welcome  bundle,  filling  a very  big  bag. 

Wednesday,  December  i6tk. — Soon  after  breakfast  we 
landed  and  went  to  the  Museum,  to  look  at  the  beautiful 
bronzes  and  statues,  which  appear  more  lovely  every  time 
we  see  them.  The  Museum  is  beautifully  done  up  and  re- 
arranged, and  when  the  alterations  are  finished  it  will  be 
greatly  improved.  In  the  evening  we  went  to  the  opera, 
and  saw  ‘ Marta ' at  a very  pretty  small  theatre,  well  sung, 
and  wfell  put  on  the  stage.  The  present  government  can- 
not afford  to  open  San  Carlo  this  year,  but  is  doing  much 
to  improve  the  city.  All  the  dirty  houses  between  Santa 
Lucia  and  the  Chiaja  have  been  pulled  down,  a fine  prome- 
nade has  been  made,  and  the  gardens  of  the  Villa  Reale,  in- 
stead of  being  right  on  the  sea,  have  now  a large  esplanade 
and  sea-wall  in  front.  Altogether  the  place  is  much  altered 
since  we  were  here  five  years  ago.  The  shops  for  anti- 
quities, tortoiseshell,  and  coral,  however,  are  just  as  nume- 
rous and  as  tempting  as  ever ; but  the  price  of  coral  has 
at  least  trebled  in  the  same  number  of  years,  and  it  is 
difficult  to  get  it  of  good  colour.  There  are  a few  splendid 
things  in  the  best  shops,  but  then  the  prices  are  fabulous 
— five  thousand  francs  for  a single  string  of  not  very  pale 
beads. 

Thursday , December  I Jth. — The  yacht  ‘ Zantha  ’ arrived 
from  Nice  during  the  night,  and  just  as  we  had  done  breakfast 
the  ‘ lone  ’ came  racing  in  under  close-reefed  canvas.  We 
called  alongside  on  our  way  ashore,  and  heard  a very  bad 
account  of  the  weather  outside.  They  had  experienced 


i6o 


SAN  MARTINO. 


strong  north-westerly  gales  all  the  way,  so  it  was  lucky  we 
had  come  in  here.  We  landed  and  drove  up  to  San  Mar- 
tino, situated  on  the  top  of  the  hill  overlooking  Naples, 
and  close  to  the  castle  of  St.  Elmo.  It  was  formerly  one 
of  the  richest  Carthusian  convents  ; now  all  its  revenues 
are  confiscated  for  the  good  of  the  Crown.  Most  of  the 
monks  are  dispersed,  a few  of  the  oldest  being  allowed  to 
drag  on  a miserable  existence  with  the  munificent  allow- 
ance of  a franc  a day  from  the  government,  which  they 
supplement  as  best  they  can  by  begging.  The  wood  carv- 
ing in  the  church  is  very  beautiful,  principally  the  work  of 
the  monks  themselves.  The  sacristy  was  full  of  curious 
relics.  The  view  from  the  windows  of  the  galleries  over 
Naples  and  its  lovely  bay  and  environs  was  very  fine,  and 
the  drive  down  was  delightful. 

It  rained  so  heavily  in  the  afternoon  that  we  could 
only  wander  about  among  the  shops.  In  the  evening  we 
went  to  see  ‘ La  Fille  de  Madame  Angot  ’ at  a small 
theatre.  Tom  treated  half  the  crew  and  half  the  servants 
last  night,  and  the  other  half  to-night.  They  made  quite 
a sensation  each  night,  so  many  sailors  trooping  in  one 
after  another.  It  was  still  very  stormy  when  we  returned 
on  board,  though  the  rain  had  ceased. 

Friday , December  iSlh. — We  landed  directly  after  break- 
fast, and  went  straight  to  the  museum,  to  look  at  some 
beautiful  pictures  which  are  still  left  there  ; but  a good 
many  of  our  old  favourites,  like  the  statues,  have  been  re- 
moved to  other  towns.  After  looking  at  the  pictures,  we 
went  to  see  all  the  rooms,  which  are  newly  arranged,  and 
full  of  the  most  interesting  objects  recently  discovered  at 
Pompeii.  Whether  it  is  that  they  understand  the  art  of 


RELICS  FROM  POMPEII. 


161 


excavating  better  now,  and  that  the  things  are  consequently 
in  a more  perfect  condition,  I do  not  know  ; but  I have 
never  felt  so  much  interest  in  the  collection  before.  One 
sees  figs,  olives,  plums,  currants,  and  nuts  of  all  kinds, 
blackened  and  dried  up  of  course,  but  with  the  form  of  the 
oil  drops  still  visible  on  some  of  the  olives.  The  loaves  of 
bread,  the  cheeses,  and  the  eggs  are  in  a perfect  state  of 
preservation.  In  another  part  are  all  the  cooking  utensils, 
mostly  in  bronze,  the  handle  of  each  being  a lifelike  model 
of  the  fish,  flesh,  or  fowl  for  cooking  which  it  is  supposed  to 
have  been  used.  The  scales  and  weights,  too,  are  made  to 
represent  the  articles  they  were  intended  to  weigh,  such 
as  bread,  cheese,  pork,  goat’s  flesh,  mutton,  beef.  One 
finds  here  cooking  stoves,  which  would  be  not  at  all  a bad 
model  for  an  economical  kitchener  now  ; braziers,  all  ex- 
quisitely modelled,  and  a most  ingenious  arrangement  for 
warming  water,  with  a tap  to  draw  it  off,  exactly  like  those 
in  use  at  the  present  day.  There  are  gridirons  and  frying- 
pans,  flat  irons,  goffering-irons,  curling-tongs,  and  every 
sort  of  domestic  utensil,  besides  beautiful  vases,  bronzes, 
jewellery,  cameos,  and  intaglios.  Anyone  might  spend  days 
and  weeks  among  them,  and  all  the  time  be  learning  the 
minutest  details  of  the  life  lived  by  a people  nearly  two 
thousand  years  ago.  One  of  the  rooms  contains  over  three 
thousand  papyrus  rolls,  found  in  Herculaneum.  Experts 
are  busily  engaged  in  unrolling  and  deciphering  these,  and 
the  contents  may  perhaps  throw  much  light  on  the  times 
in  which  they  were  written. 

At  the  hotel  we  saw  the  ‘ Daily  News  ’ of  December 
15,  and  the  first  thing  that  caught  my  eye,  at  the  head  of 
the  shipping  disasters,  was  the  ‘ Total  Loss  of  the  Steamer 


62 


WRECK  OF  THE  ‘ VIOLET 


“ Violet : ” crew  all  saved  in  boats/  1 This  is  the  steamer  in 
which  we  had  taken  so  much  interest  at  Constantinople. 
As  Tom  and  I were  watching  her  leave  that  port,  I said, 
‘ I only  wish  that  she  may  go  to  the  bottom,  that  all  the  crew 
may  be  saved,  and  that  the  wretched  story-telling  engineer 
may  have  an  extra  fright  for  his  life.’  We  have  not 
heard,  and  perhaps  never  shall  hear,  his  special  adventures, 
but  otherwise  my  wish  has  been  fulfilled  to  the  letter.  It 
only  shows  what  boats  can  live  through,  for  we  all  agreed 
that  the  ‘Violet’s’  boats  looked  as  unfit  for  an  emergency 
as  most  boats  on  board  traders  do  ; and  all  feared  that  if 
anything  happened  to  the  ship,  as  seemed  only  too  pro- 
bable, the  poor  men  would  be  sacrificed  as  well  as  the 
steamer.  Happily,  however,  the  result  proved  otherwise. 

As  the  day  had  improved,  we  drove  after  lunch  towards 
Resina.  The  weather  was  too  bad  for  Vesuvius,  and  as  we 
wished  to  see  as  much  as  possible  of  the  last  eruption,  we 
drove  along  the  bay,  which  might  be  pretty  if  it  were 


1 The  following  is  a detailed  account  of  the  wreck  given  by  the  ‘ Daily 
News’  : — ‘The  steamer  “Violet,”  of  Glasgow,  Edwards  master,  bound  from 
Nicolaieff  for  Bergen,  laden  with  rye,  foundered  about  30  miles  south  of  the 
Lizard  on  Sunday  morning.  The  crew  landed  at  Penzance  harbour  yester- 
day afternoon  in  an  exhausted  state,  having  taken  to  the  boats,  and  been 
exposed  to  the  gale  for  thirty  hours.  The  vessel  had  experienced  strong  gales 
since  December  8,  and  became  leaky,  and  the  cargo  shifted.  They  passed 
Wolf- Rock  Lighthouse  on  Friday  last,  only  making  slight  progress.  On 
Saturday  morning  they  made  for  the  Lizard,  and  a steamer  then  passing  tried 
to  take  the  “ Violet  ” in  tow,  but  this  the  violence  of  the  gale  prevented.  A 
portion  of  the  cargo  and  starboard  anchor  and  chain  were  thrown  overboard, 
with  the  hope  of  saving  the  vessel,  but  the  water  gained,  and  the  fires  in  the 
engine-room  were  put  out.  The  crew’,  seeing  the  steamer  sinking  fast,  aban- 
doned her  on  Sunday  about  10  o’clock.  The  “Violet  ” was  974  tons  register, 
and  was  built  at  Newcastle  in  1871.  Her  crew  consisted  of  captain  and 
twenty-six  hands  all  told.’  After  our  return  home,  Tom  had  to  go  to  Glasgow'- 
to  give  evidence  for  the  Board  of  Trade.  There  was  so  much  doubt  about  the 
matter,  and  so  many  people  were  involved  in  it,  rendering  it  impossible  to  put 
the  blame  on  the  right  shoulders,  that  no  legal  proceedings  could  be  taken. 


LAST  ERUPTION  OF  VESUVIUS.  163 

not  for  a perfect  street  of  dirty  little  houses,  preventing  a 
view  of  the  sea,  except  in  occasional  peeps.  However,  the 
crowd  was  amusing.  Carioles  full  of  people  going  out  to 
the  country,  eighteen  or  nineteen  in  one  vehicle,  some 
hanging  on  behind  and  on  to  the  shafts  ; itinerant  vendors 
of  every  sort  of  ware  ; macaroni  makers  and  sellers  ; fisher- 
men making  and  mending  their  nets  ; everybody  doing  or 
pretending  to  do  something,  for  the  weather  was  too  cold 
for  even  the  Neapolitan  lazzaroni  to  indulge  in  their  favourite 
occupation  of  doing  nothing. 

At  the  end  of  five  miles  we  turned  off  from  the  main 
line  towards  the  villages  of  Massa  and  Somna.  Soon  piles 
of  ashes  appeared  upon  either  side,  the  remains  of  the 
eruption  of  Mount  Vesuvius  three  years  ago.  After  driving 
two  or  three  miles  further,  the  great  stream  of  lava  could 
plainly  be  seen  running  down  from  the  crater  at  the  sum- 
mit. It  must  have  been  serious  work  for  those  engaged  in 
taking  their  observations  in  the  observatory  at  the  Hermit- 
age that  night.  Many  travellers,  who  had  gone  up  from 
curiosity,  were  killed,  together  with  twelve  horses,  as  the 
lava  changed  its  course  rapidly  and  suddenly.  The  whole 
valley  still  presents  a most  wonderful  sight — bits  of  walls 
and  houses  cropping  up  here  and  there,  all  crushed  and 
overwhelmed  by  the  lava  in  its  relentless  course.  It  seemed 
to  have  turned  and  twisted  in  the  most  capricious  manner, 
without  any  apparent  reason,  sparing  a house  in  its  direct 
course,  on  purpose  to  knock  down  a larger  one  to  the  right 
or  left. 

We  left  the  carriage,  and  walked  over  the  still  smoking 
lava  beds.  When  the  outer  crust  was  stirred,  we  could  still 
burn  our  fingers,  take  casts  of  coins,  or,  if  we  went  deep 


164 


A HASTY  START. 


enough,  find  quite  a little  fire,  hot  enough  to  cook  by.  It 
was  very  curious  and  interesting,  and  we  wandered  about 
a long  time.  The  weather  had  quite  cleared  up,  and  the 
drive  back  to  Naples  was  delightful. 

At  the  table  d'hote  Tom,  who  had  been  on  board  for  a 
short  time,  said  that  before  leaving  the  yacht  he  had  made 
all  arrangements  for  starting  in  the  morning,  but  that,  as 
the  wind  was  momentarily  shifting  round  and  becoming 
fairer,  he  thought  it  would  be  almost  better  to  start  at  once. 
He  therefore  went  on  board  directly  after  dinner  to  make 
arrangements,  and  we  followed  him  at  10.30  p.m.,  after 
staying  to  write  and  post  some  letters.  At  12.30  a.m. 
we  started  under  steam,  the  sea  being  calm,  with  a light 
wind  from  the  S.E. 


Harbour  at  Bastia. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

BASTIA,  NICE,  PARIS,  AND  HOME. 

The  man  who,  with  undaunted  toils, 

Sails  unknown  seas  to  unknown  soils, 

With  various  wonders  feasts  his  sight. 

Saturday , December  19 th.- — Steaming  between  Ischia 
and  the  mainland  all  night.  At  8 a.m.  we  were  off  Mount 
Circello,  and  ceased  steaming,  proceeding  under  sail  alone, 
with  a very  strong  wind  from  the  S.W.,  accompanied  by 
occasional  squalls  and  showers.  At  noon  we  were  off 
Porto  d’Anzio,  and  continued  a northerly  course  all  day,  the 
sea  being  very  rough  and  disagreeable,  and  nobody  ven- 
turing into  the  saloon.  Neither  was  the  deck  as  pleasant 


NO  BILL  OF  HEALTH . 


1 66 

as  usual  ; for  all  the  boats  were  • inboard,  and  everything, 
as  far  as  possible,  stowed  away  and  battened  down  and 
covered  with  canvas. 

Sunday , December  20 th. — At  4 a.m.  we  were  off  Pianosa. 
There  was  a tremendous  gale  from  the  S.W.,  and  though 
we  were  under  the  lee  of  Corsica  we  made  bad  weather  of  it, 
the  sea  being  rough,  the  wind  howling  through  the  rigging, 
and  the  barometer  falling.  Tom  therefore  determined  to  run 
back  for  the  harbour  of  Bastia,  which  we  entered  at  noon. 
Distance  from  Naples,  282  miles.  The  entrance  is  extremely 
narrow,  and,  once  inside,  there  is  hardly  room  to  turn  ; so 
we  were  a long  time  settling  ourselves,  or  rather  being 
settled,  by  various  officials  and  their  underlings,  with 
warps,  ropes,  chains,  anchors,  kedges,  and  all  sorts  of 
appliances. 

The  sudden  start  from  Naples  had  made  Tom  forget 
that  all-important  document,  the  bill  of  health,  and  it  was 
rather  to  be  dreaded  that  we  might  not  be  allowed  to  land, 
or  even  that  we  might  be  sent  back  to  the  port  from  which 
we  came.  Fortunately  for  us,  the  senior  health-officer 
proved  most  kind,  and  gave  us  permission  to  land  at  once, 
while  he  telegraphed  to  Naples  to  know  that  all  was  right. 
After  lunch  we  took  advantage  of  this  permission,  and 
walked  up  the  steep  streets,  or  rather  staircases,  leading 
from  the  harbour  to  the  best  part  of  the  town,  where  the 
streets  are  wide,  with  handsome  houses.  We  got  a 
carriage  after  some  difficulty,  and  drove  along  a lovely 
road  by  the  sea-shore  ; but  the  cold  was  so  intense  that 
we  were  soon  glad  to  turn  back  and  remain  quietly  by  the 
fire  till  dinner-time. 

The  consul  dined  with  us,  and  told  us  a good  many 


AJACCIO. 


167 

interesting  particulars  about  the  island  and  the  islanders. 
He  had  been  at  Ajaccio  for  a year,  and  came  on  here  in 
August.  At  Ajaccio  there  are  a good  many  English  and 
foreigners  in  search  of  health.  The  climate  is  good  in 
winter,  but  somewhat  feverish  in  summer,  on  account  of 
the  large  lagunes,  which,  however,  afford  excellent  wild- 
fowl shooting.  In  winter  the  living  is  bad,  but  very  cheap. 
English  servants  will  not  stay,  as  a rule.  The  natives 
make  bad  servants,  but  cost  little  either  for  pay  or  keep. 
The  drive  from  Bastia  to  Ajaccio,  about  94  miles,  across 
the  island  and  over  some  high  mountains,  is  very  beautiful, 
and  we  had  some  thoughts  of  making  the  expedition,  which 
can  easily  be  done  in  a carriage  in  two  days.  But  on  en- 
quiry it  was  found  that  at  one  point  the  road  was  blocked 
with  snow,  and  that  we  should  have  to  walk  for  about 
four  hours,  and  be  transferred  to  another  carriage  on  the 
other  side  of  the  mountains  ; so  the  idea  has  been  given 
up.  There  is  a great  deal  of  pleasant  society  here  and  at 
Ajaccio.  The  law  courts  are  held  at  Bastia,  and  a good 
many  judges  and  officials  of  one  kind  and  another  residing 
there  are  employed  under  a sous-prefet.  The  inns  are  very 
small,  as  well  as  bad  and  dirty,  and  the  cooking  is  atrocious. 

It  blew  a perfect  hurricane  at  night,  and  thundered, 
lightened,  snowed,  rained,  hailed,  and  sleeted.  In  the 
morning  the  ice  was  half  an  inch  thick  in  many  places  on 
the  deck  where  the  water  had  accumulated. 

Monday , December  21st. — An  intensely  cold  morning. 
The  hills  were  all  covered  with  snow,  quite  low  down,  close 
to  the  town,  and  all  the  people  were  in  a state  of  astonish- 
ment, as  many  of  them  had  never  seen  snow  so  near  before. 
A servant,  who  came  from  Ajaccio,  where  the  climate  is 


1 68 


PIPES  AND  STILETTOS. 


much  milder  than  it  is  here,  could  not  make  it  out  at  all, 
especially  when  she  got  some  snow  in  her  hand  and  it  all 
disappeared  between  her  fingers.  The  consul  had  kindly 
arranged  a great  chasse  for  the  gentlemen  to-day,  but 
unfortunately  the  weather  rendered  it  impossible.  It  was, 
to  compare  it  with  our  own  climate,  a bitter  April  day — 
hot  sun,  with  a wind  so  strong  that  one  could  hardly  stand 
against  it,  and  constant  thick  snow  showers.  Yesterday, 
at  a chasse  on  a lake  of  an  estate  not  far  from  here,  the 
sportsmen  killed  over  one  thousand  head  of  wild  fowl, 
including  coots,  moorhens,  wild  ducks  of  every  kind,  snipes, 
woodcocks,  partridges. 

In  the  afternoon  it  cleared  up  a little,  and  we  went 
round  the  town  with  the  consul,  and  made  a few  purchases 
of  myrtle  sticks,  pipes  beautifully  carved  from  the  heath 
roots,1  which  grow  here  to  an  enormous  si-ze,  and  stiletti. 
The  making  or  selling  of  these  poignards  is  specially  pro- 
hibited, on  account  of  the  use  which  the  inhabitants  are 
inclined  to  make  of  them  ; and  thus  there  was  considerable 
delay  before  we  could  get  any.  The  vendetta  is  still  in  its  full 
force.  There  are  few  families  which  have  not  a feud  existing, 
and  all  are  ready  with  a dagger.  Only  this  morning  some 
men  in  a ship  next  to  us  were  teasing  a boy  of  ten  or 
twelve,  when  he  drew  his  stiletto  and  sprang  at  them,  but 
fortunately  was  stopped  in  time  by  the  gendarmes. 

We  started  between  the  showers  to  drive  to  a grotto 
about  six  miles  off,  the  gentlemen  walking.  The  road  was 
well  macadamised,  and  ran  along  the  sea-shore  at  the  foot 
of  the  mountains.  On  a fine  day  it  must  be  lovely,  but  to- 

1 These  are  what  are  called  in  England  briar-root  pipes,  a corruption  of 
the  French  bruyere , heath. 


STALACTITE  GROTTO . 


169 


day  there  was  no  good  opportunity  for  seeing  its  beauties. 
After  driving  a few  miles  we  reached  the  grotto  in  the 
midst  of  a terrific  storm  of  thunder,  lightning,  hail,  and  snow. 
The  grotto,  though  small,  is  very  pretty,  and  is  beautifully 
kept  and  lighted.  The  stalactites  are  very  fine  and  well 
preserved.  As  it  was  a steep  climb  up  a very  wet  path, 
the  water  pouring  down  the  steps  in  torrents,  Muhie  and 
I stayed  in  the  carriage  while  the  others  went  to  look  at 
it.  The  semi-tropical  vegetation  looked  very  much  the 
worse  for  this  most  unusual  weather.  Aloes  and  prickly 
pears  have  a miserable  effect  in  the  snow,  and  the  handfuls 
of  maidenhair  which  we  gathered  must  have  felt  very  un- 
comfortable, coated  and  stiff  with  coagulated  hail  and 
snow. 

We  got  on  board  the  yacht  just  about  dark,  and  were 
all  glad  to  gather  round  the  fires.  I must  mention  that 
our  open  grates  are  a perfect  success.  They  draw  capitally, 
and  we  have  had  just  as  good  fires  as  on  shore,  instead  of 
the  miserable  little  stoves  so  often  seen  on  yachts. 

Tuesday,  December  22nd. — There  was  a slight  improve- 
ment in  the  weather,  so  Tom  thought  it  better  to  make  a 
start.  This  was  a great  disappointment  to  our  newly  made 
kind  friends,  who  had  arranged  an  expedition  for  us.  But 
we  were  pressed  for  time,  and  after  a pleasant  farewell 
luncheon  the  operations  of  pulling,  hauling,  and  warping 
were  repeated,  and  we  emerged  from  the  mouth  of  the  very 
narrow  harbour  on  to  the  still  much-agitated  ocean.  We 
all  very  shortly  disappeared  into  our  berths,  for  it  was  bit- 
terly cold  and  wet,  and  the  short  winter’s  day  was  soon  over. 

Wednesday,  December  2 3 rd. — Tom  called  me  at  day- 
break of  the  most  beautiful  morning  it  is  possible  to  imagine. 


170 


NICE. 


Sky  and  sea  were  alike  of  the  loveliest  blue,  and  the  moon 
still  rode  high  in  the  heavens,  while  Corsica  and  the 
Italian  coast  in  the  distance,  and  the  nearer  range  of  snowy 
mountains  along  the  coast  of  the  Riviera,  were  tinged  with 
the  light  of  the  rising  sun,  as  were  also  the  sails  of  the 
numerous  vessels  gliding  about  in  different  directions. 
We  were  just  off  Bordighera,  and  as  we  steamed  along 
close  to  the  coast,  each  point  we  passed  opened  out  a new 
scene  of  beauty. 

It  was  quite  difficult  to  tear  oneself  away  from  the  deck 
and  go  below.  There  was  an  idea  of  going  into  the  splendid 
harbour  of  Villa  Franca,  but  Tom  thought  it  would  be 
better,  in  spite  of  its  many  inconveniences,  to  go  into  that 
of  Nice  for  the  sake  of  being  close  to  the  railway  station 
on  the  main  line.  We  arrived  soon  after  9 a.m.,  but  it  was 
nearly  1 1 a.m.  before  we  were  safely  moored  alongside  two 
other  yachts.  Soon  afterwards  we  landed,  and  made  the 
best  of  our  way  to  the  consuls,  and  to  the  post-office  for 
our  ever  welcome  bundle  of  letters.  We  strolled  along  the 
Promenade  des  Anglais  and  looked  into  the  shops,  filled 
seemingly  with  the  very  same  articles  to  be  found  in  the 
various  countries  we  had  recently  visited.  There  were 
Moorish  shops,  full  of  Moorish  rugs,  brass-work,  arms, 
harness,  and  curiosities  ; shops  for  Spanish  mantas,  lace, 
and  figures  ; shops  for  Sicilian  lace  and  models ; shops 
for  bronzes  and  Grecian  antiquities  ; shops  full  of  amber, 
embroideries,  lamps,  carpets,  rugs  from  Constantinople, 
Smyrna,  and  the  Eastern  Archipelago  ; shops  full  of  coral 
from  Naples  ; and,  lastly,  the  most  lovely  flower-shops,  full 
of  violets,  roses,  orange-blossoms,  heliotropes,  carnations, 
mignonette,  and  every  variety  of  summer  blossom. 


MONACO. 


171 

The  sun  was  intensely  hot,  though  the  wind  was  cold, 
and  white  umbrellas  were  the  order  of  the  day.  After 
another  stroll  we  went  to  Monaco.  Getting  out  of  the 
train  at  Monaco  station  by  mistake,  we  had  a long  walk 
through  the  pretty  little  town  as  far  as  Monte  Carlo,  where 
the  hotel  and  casino  are  situated.  It  was  a splendid  clear 
night.  The  wind  had  gone  down,  and  the  moon  was  at  its 
full,  so  that  the  gardens,  full  of  palms  and  aloes  and  semi- 
tropical  vegetation,  quite  transported  one  back  to  the  East. 
After  dining  we  went  to  the  gambling-rooms,  made  a small, 
very  small,  venture,  and  lost,  amusing  ourselves  afterwards 
by  watching* the  other  people  gambling  It  was  delicious 
walking  in  the  garden,  which  has  seats  in  every  pleasant 
nook,  with  lovely  glimpses  over  the  moonlit  sea.  We  left 
by  the  10.30  p.m.  train,  starting  from  the  right  station  this 
time,  and  reached  the  yacht  soon  after  midnight. 

Thursday , December  24 th. — We  were  called  before  day- 
break, our  luggage  was  on  shore  by  7 a.m.,  and  we  followed 
soon  afterwards  to  see  it  through  the  custom  house.  It 
was  a hard  frost,  yet  the  sun  was  hot  enough  to  burn  even 
at  that  early  hour.  At  9 a.m.  we  started  by  the  train, 
which  kept  close  to  the  sea-shore  for  some  distance.  The 
little  pools  seemed  frozen  hard,  though  the  south  side  of 
the  carriage  was  quite  hot.  The  through  carriages  are  most 
comfortable,  and  by  taking  a coupe-fauteuil,  not  a coupe-lit , 
you  can  enjoy  the  luxury  of  arm-chairs  by  day  and  beds 
by  night. 

Friday , December  25  th. — When  we  arrived  at  Paris,  the 
day  was  cold  and  snowy  ; but  though  the  frost  was  the 
hardest  that  had  been  known  for  years,  the  rooms  in 
Meurice’s  Hotel  were  as  warm  and  comfortable-looking  as 


172 


BACK  TO  ST.  LEONARDS. 


usual,  and  there  was  not  much  temptation  to  stir  out  of 
them,  especially  as  both  Evie  and  I had  very  bad  colds. 

Saturday , December  2 6th. — The  children  arrived  in  the 
evening  from  Hastings  in  great  spirits,  and  the  next  few 
days  were  devoted  to  showing  them  all  the  sights,  indoors 
and  out,  breakfasting  and  dining  at  several  of  the  cafes , going 
to  see  some  of  the  best  pieces  at  the  theatres,  and  trying 
to  see  the  new  opera-house,  about  which  everybody  was 
quite  mad  just  then.  It  is  certainly  very  handsome,  and 
for  the  opening  night  there  is  not  a ticket  to  be  had. 

On  the  evening  of  January  1st,  1875,  we  left  Paris  for 
Calais.  The  cold  was  still  intense  ; a nasty  sleet  was  falling 
at  Calais  ; and  the  ground  was  covered  with  a singular  coat- 
ing of  verglas , which  made  it  almost  impossible  to  stand. 
Everything  seemed  turned  to  ice.  All  the  porters  had  on 
list  slippers,  and  it  was  only  with  their  aid  that  we  managed 
to  embark  safely,  though  it  was  nervous  work  going  down 
the  glassy  wooden  steps  with  the  children.  After  a dis- 
agreeable crossing  we  reached  Dover  about  4.30  a.m.,  and 
later  on  in  the  day,  January  2nd,  we  arrived  at  our  house 
in  St.  Leonards  all  safe  and  well,  after  a voyage  of  13,000 
miles,  north  and  south,  occupying  a period  of  exactly 
six  months.  The  time  has  been  full  of  pleasure  and,  I 
hope,  profit  to  us  all  ; but  still  it  is  delightful  to  be  at 
home  once  more  for  a few  months,  before  the  wish  to  go 
further  afloat  and  to  see  new  countries  comes  on  us  again, 
doubtless  as  strong  as  ever. 


PART  II. 


CYPRUS.  CONSTANTINOPLE. 

1878. 


Wherein  of  antres  vast,  and  deserts  idle , 

Rough  quarries,  rocks  and  hills  whose  heads  touch  heaven , 
It  was  my  hint  to  speak. 


Shakespeare,  Othello. 


VIGO  BAY 


Last  of  the  •Eurydioe  ' 


CHAPTER  I. 

PORTSMOUTH,  BREST,  AND  VIGO. 

Like  ships  that  sailed  for  sunny  isles, 

But  never  came  to  shore. 


In  the  summer  of  1878  I was  very  ill,  and  we  lay  for 
many  weeks  in  and  about  the  Solent,  unable  to  leave  the 
vicinity  of  the  shore  and  the  doctor.  There  is  good  in 
everything,  if  one  will  only  look  for  it,  and  during  that 
weary  time  I learned  to  see  how  much  of  beauty  there  is 
in  the  well-known  harbour  of  Portsmouth,  and  how  much 
food,  not  so  much  for  the  imagination  as  for  the  memory, 
the  mere  sight  of  the  ships  bearing  names  so  well  known 


THE  ‘ EURYDICE : 


176 

and  celebrated  in  history  and  in  the  wars  of  old  may  afford. 
There  they  are,  laid  up  in  ordinary,  ready  to  be  fitted  out 
when  required,  or  to  be  used  as  hulks,  or  even  doomed  to 
be  broken  up.  Many  a pleasant  little  sail  and  row  we  had 
among  them  when  I was  well  enough  to  make  a move.  It 
was  just  at  the  time  when  the  disaster  to  the  ill-fated 
‘ Eurydice  ’ was  still  fresh  in  all  minds,  and  day  after  day 
the  steam-launch  passed  us,  towing  the  covered  barge  with 
its  melancholy  freight  of  bodies  recovered  from  the  wreck. 
A terrible  task  it  must  have  been  to  make  the  sea  give  up 
her  dead  after  so  long  an  interval.  At  last  one  day  the 
‘ Eurydice  ’ herself  was  towed  past  us,  and  a few  days  after- 
wards we  went  to  see  her  being  broken  up.  The  decision 
that  no  attempt  should  be  made  to  restore  her  was  surely 
wise,  for  no  sailor  could  ever  have  set  foot  in  her  again 
without  a feeling  of  horror.  It  was  sunset  when  we  beheld 
the  sad  spectacle.  Men  were  using  crowbars,  hatchets, 
pickaxes,  and  instruments  of  every  sort,  to  pull  to  pieces 
those  unfortunate  but  still  strong  and  sound  timbers.  It 
was  not  a scene  to  linger  over,  nor  was  it  altogether  a 
cheering  one  to  those  about  to  face  the  perils  of  the  sea. 

One  morning,  about  8.30,  while  lying  moored  to  a 
Government  buoy,  kindly  lent  us  by  the  Dockyard  Admiral 
in  Portsmouth  harbour,  we  had  a very  narrow  escape  of 
going  to  the  bottom.  I was  lying  helpless  in  my  bed, 
where  I had  been  for  three  weeks,  and  seemed  likely  to 
remain  another  three  weeks,  with  the  exception  of  being 
carried  up  on  deck  for  a few  hours  daily.  Some  of  the 
party  were  in  bed,  others  preparing  for  Goodwood,  the 
servants  engaged  at  their  usual  avocations,  the  children 
at  breakfast  in  the  fore-saloon,  when  I heard  some  of  the 


A NARROW  ESCAPE. 


i?7 


men  shout,  or  rather  scream  : ‘ She  is  into  us ! ’ ‘ We  shall 

be  sunk  ! ’ ‘ Fetch  the  children  ! ’ ‘ Lower  the  boats  ! ’ ‘ Get 
the  missus  on  deck  ! ’ Then  I heard  the  rattle  of  the  falls 
through  the  davits,  and  the  splash  of  the  boats  in  the 
water.  Then  two  stewards  rushed  through  the  engine- 
room  passage,  each  carrying  a child,  and  followed  by  the 
affrighted  maids,  all  saying  : ‘ She  will  cut  us  through  by 
the  fore-companion/  Then  two  men  came  flying  down  to 
carry  me  up,  and  the  nurse  appeared  with  a quilt  to  wrap 
me  in.  There  was  a scare,  a scurry,  a terrible  fright, 
a crash,  but  not  so  bad  a one  as  we  had  anticipated,  and 
then  a cry  of  relief : ‘ She  has  not  cut  us  below  the  water- 
line ; we  shall  not  sink  after  all.’  The  ‘ Assistance/  a troop- 
ship bringing  soldiers  from  Ireland,  in  trying  to  avoid  a 
sailing  barge,  had  been  caught  by  the  tide  and  come  stem 
on  into  us,  but  fortunately  very  far  forward,  where  our  over- 
hanging bow  protected  us.  She  had  reversed  her  engines 
before  she  touched  us  ; for  had  she  not  tried  to  alter  her 
course  and  been  going  astern  at  the  time  she  ran  into 
us,  we  should  have  been  crushed  like  a walnut-shell  and 
sunk  in  a few  seconds.  It  was  a mauvais  qiiart  d'heure 
such  as  I hope  never  to  experience  again,  specially  when 
unable  to  move  or  to  do  anything  to  help  myself  or  any- 
body else. 

When  an  examination  came  to  be  made,  it  was  found 
that  the  ‘Assistance’  had  run  into  the  ‘Sunbeam’  just 
forward  of  the  foremast,  carried  away  some  of  the  rail  and 
fore-rigging,  and  cut  a gash  in  the  bulwarks,  while  our 
white  paint  on  her  bow  below  her  second  line  of  portholes 
showed  where  she  had  struck  us.  You  may  imagine  what 
a monster  she  looked  towering  above  us.  The  dockyard 


178 


OUR  START. 


authorities  repaired  our  damages  at  their  own  expense  ; so, 
beyond  a most  terrible  fright,  and  the  inconvenience  result- 
ing from  the  presence  of  workpeople  on  board  for  some 
days,  there  was  no  great  harm  done  after  all. 

Nobody  could  have  been  more  kind  and  sympathising 
than  all  the  officers  of  the  dockyard,  or  more  annoyed  and 
vexed  than  all  the  officers  of  the  ‘ Assistance,’  but  it  really 
was  not  their  fault.  She  was  in  charge  of  the  deputy 
harbour  master,  who  was  also  terribly  distressed  about  it. 


The  'Assistance'  running  into  us 


Portsmouth  harbour  is  a difficult  place  to  get  in  and  out  of 
when  a strong  tide  is  running,  and  it  is  crowded  with 
shipping. 

Towards  the  end  of  September  I was  pronounced  to 
be  better,  and  change  was  prescribed  as  the  best  thing  for 
me.  So  on  Friday , September  20 th,  we  started. 

Never,  we  thought,  had  the  Isle  of  Wight  looked  more 


ISLE  OF  WIGHT. 


179 


lovely  as  we  sailed  past  Sandown  with  its  trim  little  houses, 
Luccombe  Chine,  Shanklin,  and  Bonchurch  peeping  out 
amid  the  trees,  and  sheltered  by  its  tall  cliffs.  The  weather 
had  improved  much  during  the  last  twenty-four  hours,  and 
a fair  breeze  gently  filled  our  sails  and  wafted  us  quietly 
down  the  harbour,  past  the  ‘Victory,’  ‘Duke  of  Wellington,’ 
and  ‘ St  Vincent,’  with  whom  we  exchanged  sea  courtesies 
— past  the  Old  Spit  Buoy  and  Bembridge  Ledge,  where 
the  poor  ‘ Eurydice  ’ lay  so  long  after  she  had  been  moved 
from  her  first  sad  resting-place. 

After  passing  St.  Catherine’s  Point  the  wind  freshened, 
the  sky  became  clouded,  the  rain  came  down,  and  we  had 
rather  a dirty  night 

Saturday , September  21st. — To-day  was  fine  and  calm. 
Fires  were  lighted,  and  we  steamed  pleasantly  along,  though 
we  had  to  encounter  a long  Atlantic  roll  and  frequent 
showers.  During  the  night  the  wind  rose  and  freshened 
from  the  southward,  with  a nasty  cross  sea. 

Sunday , September  22nd. — In  the  morning,  as  the  wind 
was  dead  ahead,  and  the  barometer  low  and  falling,  Tom 
decided  to  take  the  inside  channel,  between  the  island 
of  Ushant  and  the  mainland,  and  to  go  into  Brest.  This 
port  has  been  our  frequent  refuge  in  a storm,  and  as  such 
it  seems  ungrateful  to  speak  ill  of  it  ; but  the  town  of 
Brest  is  by  no  means  interesting,  and  the  steps  leading 
from  the  harbour  to  the  town  are  very  fatiguing.  The 
only  alternative  to  making  use  of  them,  however,  is  to  go 
a long  way  round  outside  the  walls.  We  passed  through 
the  roads,  where  there  were  several  training-ships  at  anchor, 
besides  ‘ La  Gallicionere’ — which  we  last  saw  at  Kobe  in 
1877 — and  dropped  anchor  in  the  inner  harbour  at  1.45  p.m. 


i8o 


BREST \ 


In  the  afternoon  we  went  ashore  to  listen  to  the  military 
band  in  the  great  avenue,  from  which  there  is  a fine 
view  of  the  bay  and  of  the  surrounding  country.  The 
place  was  crowded  with  people  of  all  classes,  dressed  in 
their  Sunday  best  Munie  and  Baby  were  quite  delighted 
with  the  little  French  babies,  which  were  wonderfully 
numerous,  most  of  them  ‘ voues  a la  Vierge,’  and  therefore 
dressed  in  white  and  blue.  The  afternoon  was  lovely.  The 
wind  had  changed  to  N.W.,  and  we  began  to  regret  our 


Monday , September  23 rd. — The  glass  was  still  low,  but 
the  wind  fair  ; so,  after  hesitating  for  a few  hours,  we 
weighed  anchor  at  10.30  a.m.,  and  cleared  Point  St.  Matthieu 
soon  after  noon.  Sometimes  we  tore  along  before  a 
favouring  gale,  through  squalls  of  rain  so  thick  and  black 
that  one  could  scarcely  see,  and  sometimes  the  wind  nearly 
died  away  and  even  shifted  to  quite  another  quarter.  The 
sails  were  perpetually  up  and  down,  and  it  was  a trying 
day  for  both  crew  and  passengers.  Towards  evening 
the  violence  of  the  gale  increased,  topmasts  were  housed, 


delayed  voyage,  but  after 
dinner  *the  sky  clouded 


Dining  under  Difficulties. 


CHICKEN-POX  AT  SEA. 


i8i 

beats  taken  inboard,  trysails  set,  and  every  preparation 
made  for  a dirty  night.  The  wind  blew  heavily  from  the 
N.W.,  fortunately  driving  us  before  it  in  the  desired  direc- 
tion, and  the  old  ‘ Sunbeam  ’ rode  through  the  sea  like  a 
cork,  now  rising  on  the  top  of  one  enormous  wave,  then 
diving  so  deeply  down  into  the  trough  beyond,  that  it 
seemed  as  if  she  would  never  rise  again. 

The  two  younger  children,  Muriel  and  Baby,  have  been 
ailing  for  some  time,  and  are  to-day  pronounced  by  Dr. 
Hoffmeister  to  have  chicken-pox.  This  at  sea,  and  in  the 
present  state  of  the  weather,  causes  us  great  anxiety,  as  it 
is  impossible  to  give  them  any  medicine,  or  to  do  anything 
but  keep  them  warm,  and  try  and  coax  them  to  eat  some- 
thing and  keep  it  down — a very  difficult  matter,  as  they 
are  sea-sick,  which  is  quite  unusual  with  them.  We  must 
look  forward  to  getting  into  the  nearest  port,  and  finding  a 
more  genial  climate,  as  quickly  as  possible. 

Tuesday,  Septe7nbeir  24 th. — By  noon  to-day  we  had  the 
satisfaction  of  finding  that  we  had  run  220  miles,  with 
scarcely  any  sail  set.  During  the  afternoon  the  weather 
moderated,  but  no  observation  could  be  taken.  In  the 
evening  the  lights  at  the  entrance  to  the  harbour  of 
Coruna  were  seen.  We  had  been  driven  further  to  the 
eastward  than  we,  expected,  owing  to  our  having  had  to 
put  the  yacht  off  her  course,  in  order  to  run  before  the 
numerous  violent  squalls.  We  were  still  knocking  about 
a good  deal,  and  lay  over  to  the  wind  so  much  that  the 
balancing  powers  of  the  cabin  tables  were  for  the  first  time 
tested  to  the  utmost,  while  the  stewards  in  attendance  had 
to  sit  or  kneel,  as  best  they  could,  much  to  the  amusement 
of  those  who  were  well  enough  to  appreciate  the  absurdity 


182 


BAYONA  ISLANDS. 


of  this  domestic  yachting  scene,  without  being  worried  by 
its  discomfort.  Steam  was  ordered,  the  course  changed, 
and  in  a few  hours  we  were  steaming  along  the  north  coast 
of  Spain,  partly  under  shelter  of  the  land. 

Wednesday , September  25 th. — A lovely  morning,  almost 
calm,  a heavy  roll  being  the  only  trace  left  of  the  recent 
gale.  The  children  were  very  unwell.  Poor  little  Muriel 
was  quite  exhausted,  unable  to  take  any  nourishment 
whatever,  or  even  to  speak  or  move,  and  looking  so  white 
and  miserable  that  it  made  one’s  heart  ache  to  look  at  her. 

About  10  a.m.  we  made  the  lighthouse  on  Cape  Finis- 
terre,  and  by  noon  we  were  abreast  of  it.  To  recruit  the 
strength  of  the  invalids  and  to  give  some  rest  to  Tom, 
who  has  had  hard  work  the  last  few  days,  we  talked  of 
going  into  Corcubion — the  spot  where  the  one  boat  con- 
taining the  survivors  of  the  ill-fated  ‘ Captain  ’ landed  in 
1870 — but  we  finally  decided  to  press  on  to  Vigo,  60  miles 
further  down  the  coast,  a far  better  harbour,  and  a more 
likely  place  for  fresh  supplies.  About  4 p.m.,  accordingly, 
we  saw  the  Bayona  Islands  in  the  distance,  25  miles  off, 
at  the  entrance  to  the  magnificent  bay  of  Vigo,  and  two 
hours  later  we  were  steaming  between  them  and  the  main- 
land. The  Bayona  Islands  are  rocky  and  peaked,  a 
lighthouse  standing  on  the  highest  point  of  one  of  them. 
In  size  and  form  they  reminded  us  all  of  Eimeo,  one  of  the 
lovely  islands  of  the  South  Pacific.  The  air  was  rather 
thick  and  misty,  and  after  the  sun  had  set  it  was  with 
difficulty,  and  only  very  slowly,  that  we  crept  some  ten 
miles  up  the  bay  to  the  town  of  Vigo  itself.  Great  caution 
was  necessary  in  order  to  avoid  the  hundreds  of  fishing- 
boats,  which,  with  their  nets,  nearly  covered  the  entire 


VIGO  BAY ; 


183 


surface  of  the  bay.  The  whole  place  seemed  alive  with 
them,  and  millions  of  silvery  sardines  and  pilchards  must 
have  been  hauled  into  the  boats,  even  while  we  were  pass- 
ing through  the  busy  little  fleet.  The  fishermen  burned 
great  flaring  torches  in  the  prows  of  their  boats,  both  to 
attract  the  fish  and  to  indicate  their  whereabouts  to  their 
companions.  It  was  a most  picturesque  scene,  reminding 
us,  in  the  dim  uncertain  light,  of  the  graceful  dusky  fisher- 
men on  the  coral  reefs  of  the  South  Sea  Islands.  The 
smell  of  the  land  was  almost  as  fragrant  as  the  spicy  isles 
of  the  far  south.  The  miseries  and  discomforts  of  a two 
or  three  days’  hard  gale  at  sea  are  well  recompensed  by 
the  intense  pleasure  of  gliding  quietly  into  a landlocked 
harbour  like  this,  and  hearing  once  more  the  sounds  and 
smelling  the  odours  of  the  land. 

The  cathedral  clock  chimed  eight  just  as  we  dropped 
anchor,  and  throughout  the  night  the  old  Spanish  watch- 
men went  their  half-hourly  rounds,  proclaiming  the  time 
and  the  state  of  the  weather,  and  doubtless  giving  good 
warning  of  their  approach  to  ill-disposed  persons  and 
affording  them  ample  time  to  escape. 

Thursday , September  26th. — I was  roused  by  the  sun 
shining  brightly  into  the  cabin,  and  became  conscious 
of  a delightful  feeling  of  rest  and  stillness,  in  strong  con- 
trast to  the  gloomy  weather  and  rough  knocking  about 
that  we  had  lately  experienced.  The  views  on  every  side 
as  I looked  out  were  lovely  ; and  a large  fleet  might  be 
anchored  here  in  a spot  as  tranquil  and  as  beautiful  as  any 
of  the  Italian  lakesi  The  surrounding  hills  are  all  culti- 
vated to  the  water’s  edge  with  vines  and  Indian  com. 
Not  for  a single  day  in  the  year  is  it  impossible  to  go  out 


184 


THE  SEVEN  SISTERS. 


sailing  here,  so  sheltered  is  it  by  surrounding  mountains, 
and  every  little  bay  and  creek  has  a fresh  beauty  of  its 
own.  On  seven  of  the  most  conspicuous  mountains  are 
little  white  chapels,  said  to  have  been  built  by  seven 
sisters,  in  order  that  they  might  lead  a holy  life  and  yet 
occasionally  gaze  upon  one  another,  though  from  a respect- 
ful distance.  Each  chapel  is  now  occupied  by  a sainted 
hermit,  whom  crowds  of  pilgrims  come  to  visit  from  all 
parts  of  Spain. 

About  noon  we  went  ashore,  paying  a visit  to  the 
picturesque  but  odorous  fish-market  on  our  way.  The 
boats  are  all  drawn  up  on  the  sand  in  front  of  a row  of  low 
arcades,  the  intermediate  space  being  filled  by  an  ever- 
changing  chattering  crowd,  dressed  in  the  brightest  colours, 
while  nearer  the  shore  a few  graceful,  barelegged,  but 
brilliantly  petticoated  girls  are  raking  in  the  floating  sea- 
wrack,  or  leaning  on  their  implements,  gazing  at  the  novel 
spectacle  of  our  boat  and  flag.  We  proceeded  to  the 
modern  part  of  the  town,  and  landed  on  a fine  new  quay, 
close  to  the  Hotel  de  l’Europe,  kept  by  an  English-speaking 
Swede  and  his  French-speaking  wife. 

Vigo  is  built  on  a steep  hill,  crowned  by  a fort,  and  has 
quite  an  imposing  appearance  from  the  water.  The  streets 
are  generally  narrow  and  dirty,  but  one  street  has  fairly 
good  shops. 

After  lunch  we  took  a drive  round  the  bay,  and  then  up 
to  the  fort.  The  view  from  the  spot  where  we  stood  was 
very  fine,  extending  over  the  town  and  the  bay,  the  latter  of 
which,  divided  into  two  arms,  stretches  some  eight  or  ten 
miles  further  up  into  the  country,  its  shores  being  indented 
with  numerous  smaller  bays  and  inlets.  At  its  mouth  the 


MARKET  BOATS. 


185 


Bayona  Islands,  purple  in  the  afternoon  light,  stood  out, 
sharp  and  beautiful,  against  a golden  sunset  sky,  while  the 
surface  of  the  water,  shining  like  molten  gold,  was  dotted 
with  hundreds  of  black  fishing-boats. 

A short  drive  brought  us  again  to  the  town,  where  we 
found  all  the  population  enjoying  the  cool  evening  breezes 
on  the  pretty  Alameda.  Tom  paid  a visit  to  the  English 
vice-consul,  while  we  went  to  look  at  the  cathedral — a fine 
building,  the  interior  of  which  was  seen  to  especial  advan- 
tage in  the  dim  religious  glow  of  the  early  autumn  twilight, 
the  effect  being  heightened  by  the  little  lamps,  shining  like 
glowworms  among  the  columns,  and  faintly  showing  the 
dark  figures  of  the  worshippers. 

By  the  time  we  got  on  board  again  it  was  almost  dark. 

Friday , September  2 *jih. — It  was  like  looking  at  a pan- 
orama to  watch  the  market  boats  this  morning  as  they 
sailed  past  us,  crowded  with  peasants  from  the  different 
little  villages  around,  and  their  great  awkward-looking  sails 
scarcely  filled  by  the  light  air.  The  rig  of  the  boats  here 
is  most  peculiar.  The  one  mast  slants  right  back,  and  has 
a sort  of  square-sail  with  flaps  attached  to  it,  which  appears 
to  combine  the  powers  of  holding  the  smallest  quantity  of 
wind  and  giving  the  greatest  amount  of  trouble.  The  ar- 
rangement, clumsy  as  it  is,  must  possess  some  sort  of 
advantage,  which  we  cannot  perceive,  or  surely  it  would 
not  have  been  so  universally  adopted  by  the  natives. 

The  children  went  ashore  for  a little  while  this  morn- 
ing, and  certainly  felt  all  the  better  for  the  change,  though 
they  were  very  tired  afterwards.  The  doctor  stayed  on 
board  to  look  after  them  and  one  of  the  men  who  is 
ill,  while  the  rest  of  us  started  at  noon  in  the  cutter  for 


REDONDELA. 


1 86 

Redondela,  a town  picturesquely  situated  on  a little  river 
of  the  same  name  that  runs  into  one  of  the  many  heads 
of  the  bay.  The  weather  was  hot  but  pleasant,  with 
enough  air  sometimes  to  fill  our  sails.  Each  point  that 
we  passed  revealed  a fresh  view.  The  quarantine  island 
and  lazaretto  we  saw  only  in  the  distance.  They  are  most 
beautifully  situated,  up  the  other  arm  of  the  bay,  close  to 
the  mouth  of  the  river  Pay  a.  In  all  the  streams  hereabouts 
there  is  good  trout-fishing.  Having  found  a charming  spot 
under  the  cool  shade  of  some  overhanging  trees,  we  lunched 
in  the  boat,  whilst  the  peasant  girls,  with  their  dark  eyes 
and  gay-coloured  handkerchiefs,  came  to  peep  shyly  at  us 
during  our  meal.  Lunch  and  cigarettes  over,  we  gathered 
ferns  and  strolled  about  for  a time  before  proceeding  on  our 
voyage. 

At  Redondela  the  railway  crosses  the  valley  on  an 
enormous  single-rail  viaduct,  a stupendous  example  of  en- 
gineering skill.  Close  by  is  the  station  ; and  here  an  open 
carriage,  drawn  by  a pair  of  dear  little  cream-coloured 
ponies,  was  waiting  to  take  us  back  to  Vigo,  and  so  enable 
us  to  see  the  bay  and  the  surrounding  country  from  the 
heights  above.  It  was  certainly  an  expedition  which  we 
did  not  regret  making.  The  pretty  little  town  of 
Redondela,  with  its  picturesquely  dressed  inhabitants,  is 
always  worth  a day’s  journey  to  see,  and  the  whole  of  the 
road  thence  to  Vigo  is  beautiful,  especially  as  we  saw  it, 
in  the  afternoon  light,  the  long  purple  shadows  of  trees 
and  hills  varying  the  brilliancy  of  the  landscape.  The 
way  itself  was  gay  with  groups  of  brightly  clad  peasants 
returning  from  market  with  their  purchases,  all  looking 
cheerful  and  animated,  and  some  of  them  dancing  and 


A SMALL  DERELICT. 


187 

singing  to  the  music  of  a tambourine  played  by  one  of 
the  party.  The  banks  and  cuttings  through  the  rocks 
were  covered  with  many  varieties  of  ferns,  amongst  others 
the  Osmunda  regalis  ; and  we  gathered  splendid  fronds 
and  roots  of  the  haresfoot  fern  ( Davallia  canaj'iensis). 

A&  we  were  sailing  along,  one  of  our  men  noticed  a 
small  object  floating  on  the  water,  which  puzzled  us  all 
as  to  what  it  could  possibly  be.  We  steered  down  on  it, 
and  found  a child’s  toy  boat,  evidently  home-made.  It 
was  very  carefully  constructed  of  cork  bark,  rigged  like 
boats  of  the  country,  and  carried  a blue  sail  and  tiny 
red  flag.  There  was 
no  one  anywhere  near 
to  claim  it,  and  it  was 
very  evident  that  the 
constructor  and  owner 
would  be  most  unlikely 
ever  to  find  it  again. 

So  we  laid  hands  on 
the  small  derelict,  and 
took  it  back,  to  the 
great  delight  of  the 

A small  Derelict. 

little  ones  on  board. 

The  Vigo  railway  station  is  just  at  the  entrance  of  the 
town,  and  though  it  has  been  built  for  more  than  two  years, 
it  is  evidently  still  a source  of  great  amusement  and  amaze- 
ment to  the  inhabitants,  whose  favourite  afternoon  walk 
is  under  a fine  avenue  of  trees,  running  parallel  with 
the  railway,  whence  they  can  see  the  train  and  the 
machine. 

It  was  nearly  dark  by  the  time  we  got  on  board,  and  the 


i88 


REFRACTORY  PIGS. 


fishermen’s  lights  were  shining  all  over  and  around  the 
bay. 

Saturday , September  28th. — The  children  and  I landed  at 
10.30  a.m.,  and,  provided  with  the  all-important  permission 
of  the  governor,  drove  up  the  hill  towards  the  fort.  All 
the  way,  as  we  climbed  up,  we  met  men,  v/omen,  and 
children,  either  leading  or  carrying  a pig,  sheep,  lamb, 
chicken,  duck,  goose,  or  goat,  from  the  fair,  which  was  being 
held  on  a piece  of  flat  ground  near  the  top  of  the  hill. 
.Many  were  the  amusing  scenes  we  witnessed.  Refractory 
pigs  made  frequent  and  frantic  efforts  to  commit  suicide 
beneath  the  wheels  of  our  carriage,  or  a sheep  or  a goat 
would  effect  his  escape,  butting  at  anybody  and  everybody, 
and  knocking  down  many  whom  he  met.  Fowls  of  all 
kinds  cackled  and  quacked  ; while  little  wee  pigs,  carefully 
and  fondly  carried  by  their  chattering  owners,  added  to  the 
noise  and  hubbub  of  the  motley  crowd. 

I sat  under  the  shade  of  the  trees,  while  the  children 
and  servants  visited  the  fort,  and  admired  the  lovely  view 
of  the  Sierra  on  the  opposite  side,  after  which  we  drove 
rapidly  down,  and  then  proceeded  through  narrow  and 
very  dirty  streets  to  the  fish-market.  Mabelle  and  Mr. 
Bingham  had  been  spending  the  morning  sketching  from  a 
boat  close  by ; for  though  the  feast  of  colour  in  the  market 
itself  may  delight  the  eye,  the  disagreeable  smell  is  hardly 
to  be  borne. 

Our  intention  had  been  to  make  a start  at  midday,  and 
all  the  sails  were  set  in  readiness,  but  not  a breath  of  air 
disturbed  the  mirror-like  surface  of  the  bay.  There  were  a 
few  final  settlements  to  be  made,  which  turned  out  to  be 
rather  unsatisfactory,  the  one  idea  of  everybody  being  to 


PECULIAR  TARIFF. 


189 


estimate  the  value  of  every  article  supplied  and  every 
service  rendered,  of  however  trifling  a character,  at  one 
pound  sterling — no  doubt  a highly  convenient  arrangement 
for  the  mere  calculation  of  accounts.  Thus  a carriage  for 
four  hours,  a carriage  for  one,  a boat  for  a day,  a dinner 
which  we  had  not  ordered,  and  the  services  of  a guide 
whom  we  had  found  useless,  were  all  charged  for  at  the 
one  fixed  rate,  the  final  result  being  that  the  bumboat 
man  left  us  in  an  extremely  discontented  frame  of 
mind. 

A light  contrary  breeze  sprang  up  about  4 p.m.,  and 
enabled  us  to  make  our  way  slowly  down  the  bay  among 
our  old  friends  the  fishermen.  Gorgeous  sunset  tints 
succeeded  the  bright  sunlight,  and  the  purple  shadows 
gradually  deepened  on  the  mountains  and  on  the  Bayona 
Islands,  until  the  new  moon  rose,  and  the  fishermen’s  torches 
once  more  shone  brightly  in  the  semi-darkness  of  the  early 
autumn  evening.  At  10  p.m.  we  were  obliged  to  get  up 
steam  in  order  to  pass  through  the  narrows.  At  mid- 
night a thick  fog  came  on,  and  the  steam  whistle  and  fog 
horns  were  going  the  whole  night.  A fog,  with  its  inevi- 
table risk  of  collision  and  disaster,  is  the  one  thing  that 
makes  me  feel  really  nervous  at  sea.  We  have  had  one  or 
two  very  narrow  escapes  in  the  course  of  our  yachting 
experience,  specially  on  the  night  when  the  ‘Vanguard’ 
was  run  down  by  the  ‘Iron  Duke.’  I always  fear  a real 
catastrophe. 

Sunday , September  29 th. — This  was  a grey  morning, 
turning  into  a fine  hot  day  as  the  sun  rose.  The  breeze 
was  fair,  and  it  was  quite  perfect  sailing. 

Muriel  is  much  better  for  her  stay  at  Vigo,  and 


SUNDAY  SERVICE. 


190 

plays  about  merrily  on  deck,  but  Baby  has  a nasty  sore 
throat  and  cough,  and  is  again  confined  to  her  cabin,  a 
mode  of  treatment  of  which  she  does  not  at  all  approve. 

We  had  the  litany  and  hymns  at  1 1 a.m.,  evening  ser- 
vice at  4 p.m.,  with  a short  sermon,  translated  from  the 
French,  by  Tom.  Mabelle  presided  at  the  piano,  and, 
though  she  is  rather  nervous  as  yet,  she  is  careful  and 
painstaking,  and  will  no  doubt  gain  both  skill  and  courage 


or  organise  them. 

We  saw  some  large  grampuses  and  several  shoals  of 
porpoises  in  the  course  of  the  day,  and  in  the  afternoon 
passed  quite  a line  of  fishermen’s  buoys.  These  were 
saplings  stuck  into  large  blocks  of  cork,  which  seemed 
intended  to  mark  some  fishing-ground  on  a bank.  This 
was  at  a distance  of  thirty  miles  from  the  shore,  a long 
way  for  them  to  come,  particularly  as  the  marks  must  be 
difficult  to  find  in  thick  weather. 


CAPE  SAG  RES. 


191 

Monday , September  30 th. — The  wind  freshened,  and  we 
rolled  about  more  than  was  pleasant,  especially  in  the 
afternoon.  The  breeze  kept  fair,  however,  and  by  noon 
we  had  made  162  knots.  It  is  very  cold,  and  we  are  all 
glad  to  resume  once  more  the  English  wraps  so  recently 
discarded. 

Tuesday,  October  1st. — It  proved  a flat  calm  early  this 
morning,  and  fires  were  ordered  to  be  lighted  ; but  no 
sooner  was  steam  up  than,  as  usual,  a fair  breeze  began 
to  blow,  enabling  us  to  sail  all  day  in  weather  which 
made  mere  existence  a pleasure.  At  11.30  a.m.  we  found 
ourselves  off  Cape  Sagres,  near  Cape  St.  Vincent,  where 
our  return  voyage  from  round  the  world  was  so  nearly 
brought  to  an  abrupt  conclusion  last  year.  The  light- 
house  keeper  seemed  to  be  asleep  to-day,  for  he  would 
not  make  the  smallest  response  to  our  signals  ; unlike  the 
man  at  Cape  Peniche  yesterday,  who  was  quite  frantic  and 
peremptory  in  his  repeated  request  by  signal  that  we 
should  spell  our  name  out  as  well  as  make  our  number. 

Baby  is  a little,  and  Muriel  much,  better  to-day.  Tom 
and  Mabelle  are  in  the  best  of  health  and  spirits.  I am 
gradually  picking  up  in  the  sunshine,  and  the  remainder  of 
the  party  are  very  well.  There  are  a few  invalids  among 
the  crew,  but  that  is  almost  always  the  case  with  vessels 
going  suddenly  into  a warm  climate. 

Wednesday,  October  2nd. — A fine  morning,  with  a con- 
trary wind  ; then  a calm  ; steam  up,  and  then  a fair  wind  ; 
much  to  Tom’s  annoyance,  as  he  would  have  liked  to 
make  the  whole  voyage  under  sail.  We  were  becalmed  in 
the  midst  of  a crowd  of  vessels,  on  board  of  which  some 
surprise,  and  perhaps  annoyance,  must  have  been  felt  at 


192 


THE  GUADALQUIVIR. 


seeing  us,  doubtless  imagined  to  be  companions  in  distress, 
raise  our  funnel  and  steam,  away,  an  operation  which  did 
not  occupy  much  more  than  a quarter  of  an  hour,  as  our 
fires  had  been  banked  since  the  day  before. 

In  the  afternoon,  after  another  spell  of  calm,  the  wind 
freshened,  and  at  4 p.m.  the  tall  lighthouse  at  the  entrance 
to  the  Guadalquivir  came  in  sight.  There  had  been  an 
idea  of  going  up  this  river  to  Seville,  but  upon  enquiry  we 
found  it  would  be  better  to  go  on  to  Cadiz  and  to  make 
the  journey  thence  by  rail.  It  became  dark  when  we  were 
fully  six  miles  from  the  port,  and  as  there  are  no  leading 
lights  by  which  a vessel  can  be  guided  into  the  harbour  at 
night,  blue-lights  had  to  be  burned  for  a pilot,  who  came 
after  some  delay,  and  anchored  us  safely  inside  the  harbour, 
though  a long  way  from  the  landing-place.  A smart  breeze 
was  blowing,  but  it  was  quite  hot  near  the  land,  and  we 
missed  the  freshness  of  the  open  sea  at  once. 


CHAPTER  II. 


CADIZ,  SEVILLE,  AND  CxIBRALTAR. 

Who  builds  a church  to  God , and  ?iot  to  fame 
Will  ?iever  mark  the  marble  with  his  name. 

Thursday , October  3 rd. — -At  6 a.m.  the  view  of  the 
snowy-white  Moorish-looking  town  was  very  lovely  ; later 
on,  as  the  sun  rose  and  became  hotter  and  brighter,  it  was 
almost  too  glaring  and  dazzling.  The  fishermen  were  at 
first  trolling  up  and  down  the  harbour,  in  small  boats,  with 
long  bamboo  rods  ; but  as  the  breeze  increased  to  a gale 
they  were  all  driven  to  seek  shelter  on  shore. 

We  had  not  brought  a bill  of  health  from  Vigo,  Tom, 
the  doctor,  and  the  mate  each  thinking  one  of  the  others  had 
it.  Some  of  the  party,  therefore,  went  towards  the  shore 
in  a boat  to  try  and  see  the  chief  health  officer,  but  were 
met  half-way  by  the  quarantine  boat.  The  officials  made 
a great  fuss  about  quarantine.  First  they  said  we  could 
not  land  at  all  ; then  they  offered  to  allow  us  to  do  so  if 
we  would  state  that  we  had  come  to  Cadiz  not  for  pleasure, 
but  simply  because  we  were  wind-bound  ; and  finally  they 
promised  to  go  and  consult  the  governor  and  chief  doctor, 
and  to  obtain  permission  for  us  to  land  in  about  an  hour. 
Meanwhile  we  managed  to  persuade  them  to  send  us  off 
some  fresh  provisions,  as  we  were  beginning  to  run  short, 


194 


CADIZ  CATHEDRAL. 


having  left  Vigo  on  Saturday  provisioned  for  two  days 
only. 

We  find  it  a great  saving,  both  of  trouble  to  ourselves 
and  of  grumbling  from  everybody  on  board,  to  leave  the 
men  to  provide  their  own  food.  They  do  not  live  nearly 
so  well  as  when  they  were  dependent  upon  us.  Still,  as 
they  have  chosen  their  own  caterer,  and  buy  their  own 
things,  they  cannot  now  very  well  complain. 

At  about  10.30  a.m.  we  landed  in  the  big  cutter,  with 
two  reefs  in  the  mainsail,  men  in  oilskins,  ourselves  in 
mackintoshes,  reaching  the  shore  just  by  the  old  water-gate, 
near  the  fish-market.  Here  we  found  a carriage  waiting 
for  us,  and  also  a guide. 

The  heat  on  shore  was  intense,  very  different  from  Vigo. 
We  went  first  to  see  the  fine  modern  cathedral,  to  which 
Queen  Isabella  has  lately  presented  a splendid  baldacchino 
of  Carrara  marble,  with  a centre  altar  of  metal  gilt.  We 
next  attempted  to  drive  round  the  town,  but  the  wind, 
heat,  and  dust  were  so  great  that  we  went  instead  to  the 
Fonda  de  Paris,  to  see  some  English  papers  and  hear  the 
news.  The  place  is  not  a bit  changed  from  what  it  was 
years  ago,  and  there  even  seemed  to  be  exactly  the  same 
little  yellow  water-wagtails  and  fly-catchers  darting  about 
the  floors,  and  catching  the  innumerable  flies. 

We  returned  to  the  yacht,  and  then  took  a fresh  de- 
parture by  the  3.45  p.m.  train  for  Seville.  The  gale  was 
blowing  harder  than  ever,  and  the  few  trees  bent  before  its 
fury.  On  the  isthmus  which  connects  Cadiz  with  the 
mainland  nothing  could  be  seen  except  a few  muleteers 
hurrying  home  from  market,  struggling  against  the  violence 
of  the  wind,  with  hats  tied  on  and  heads  bent  down.  Later 


UNADULTERATED  SHERRY. 


195 


on  we  came  to  the  Salinas,  or  salt-pans,  where  the  water  is 
allowed  to  evaporate  and  the  salt  is  piled  up  in  large 
pyramids,  which  in  the  moonlight  looked  like  vast  tombs 
scattered  all  over  the  country.  Even  at  this  hour  a glance 
from  the  window  was  enough  to  show  that  we  were  in 
Spain,  from  the  dry,  thirsty,  burnt-up  appearance  of  the 
land.  This  year  the  evidence  of  drought  is  especially  re- 
markable, as  no  rain  has  fallen  for  months. 

In  the  salt  marshes  a peculiar  kind  of  crab  abounds, 
of  which  the  hind  claws  are  considered  a great  delicacy. 
These  claws  are  pulled  off  while  the  poor  creature  is  alive, 
and  he  is  set  free  to  develope  another  pair,  thus  economising 
the  supply.  At  the  stations  these  crab-claws  are  offered 
for  sale  in  large  quantities. 

After  Puerto  Santa  Maria,  we  passed  through  a vine- 
growing district,  where  the  grapes  are  cultivated  from 
which  sherry  is  produced.  The  vines  are  small  and  stunted, 
but  cover  the  hillsides  for  miles,  each  vineyard  having  its 
watch-house  set  in  the  midst.  At  Xeres  the  train  stopped 
some  time,  and  most  of  the  passengers  descended  and 
drank  sherry  from  the  cask.  We  tried  it,  and  found  it  very 
good,  without  any  spirit  in  it. 

After  a journey  of  90  miles,  accomplished  in  five  hours 
and  a half,  we  reached  Seville  about  9 p.m.,  and  drove  to  the 
Hotel  de  Paris. 

Friday,  October  4th. — Tom  and  Mabelle  started  early  to 
have  a peep  at  the  cathedral,  and  ascended  the  Giralda 
tower.  Later,  we  all  went  together,  and  spent  much  time 
in  this  matchless  building,  first  in  wandering  about  and 
enjoying  a leisurely  look  at  its  splendid  design  and  propor- 
tions, and  afterwards  in  going  round  in  due  form  with  the 


o 2 


96 


SEVILLE  CATHEDRAL. 


custode  to  see  all  the  chapels  and  pictures,  which  are  not 
very  numerous  or  important.  It  is  the  grand  whole  which 
is  so  magnificent,  so  soul-satisfying.  The  painted  Gothic 
arches,  of  stupendous  height,  and  the  exquisite  combina- 
tions of  form  and  grandeur,  seen  by  the  light  from  the 
coloured  glass  windows  only,1  compose  a spectacle  which  is 
unequalled  by  anything  else  in  the  world.  Every  time  one 
comes  back  to  this  beautiful  building,  whether  the  interval 
has  been  long  or  short,  it  affords  increased  pleasure  and 
delight.  A special  interest  and  grandeur  are  attached  to 
the  place,  I think,  from  the  fact  that  the  name  of  the 
designer  is  entirely  unknown.  He  worked  for  the  love  of 
God  and  of  his  art,  not  for  the  sake  of  personal  fame,  and 
the  creation  of  his  brain  is  now  admired  by  thousands  and 
thousands  as  each  year  rolls  on. 

The  exterior  is  certainly  a curious  conglomeration  of  all 
styles  and  periods  of  architecture,  some  hideous,  some 
possessing  a beauty  of  their  own  in  spite  of  their  incon- 
gruity. The  view  from  the  stately  Gothic  interior  to  the 
Moorish  courtyard,  with  its  marble  fountain,  its  orange- 
trees,  and  its  horseshoe  doorway  in  the  distance,  is  as 
beautiful  as  it  is  curious  ; while  many  equally  interesting 
but  incongruous  peeps  may  be  obtained  from  various  nooks 
and  corners  of  the  edifice  by  anyone  who  cares  to  look  out 
for  them. 

From  the  cathedral  we  went  to  the  hospital  of  the 
Caridad,  to  see  Murillo’s  two  celebrated  pictures  in  the 
chapel  attached  to  the  building — ‘ Moses  striking  the  Rock,’ 
and  ‘The  Miracle  of  the  Loaves  and  Fishes.’  They  certainly 
deserve  to  be  classed  among  his  finest  works.  They  were 

1 There  is  not  a single  plain  glass  window  in  the  cathedral. 


THE  ALCAZAR. 


1 97 


shown  to  us  by  a very  pretty  little  nun,  who,  having  drawn 
back  the  curtains  and  placed  chairs  for  us,  retired  to  the 
high  altar,  where  she  knelt  undisturbed  at  her  devotions 
until  we  had  finished  looking  at  the  pictures.  From  the 
Caridad  we  went  to  the  Museo,  where  there  are  twenty-four 
of  Murillo’s  pictures.  They  are  wonderfully  beautiful ; but 
somehow,  hung  as  they  are  in  a row,  on  a vast  high  white- 
washed wall,  and  placed  in  a bad  light,  they  seem  lost. 

The  Alcazar  was  the  next  place  we  visited.  It  has  been 
splendidly  restored  in  the  old  Moorish  style,  and  though 
the  colouring  of  the  plaster  is  rather  coarse,  the  delicate 
tracery,  the  marble  columns,  the  flat  carved  wooden  roofs, 
the  brilliant  azulejos , and  the  beautiful  patios , with  their 
central  fountains  and  gardens,  bear  ample  testimony  to  the 
original  magnificence  of  the  design.  Some  of  the  rooms 
have  been  partially  furnished  and  used  during  the  last  two 
years  by  Queen  Isabella  ; but  the  satin-covered  chairs  with 
gilt  legs  and  marqueterie  ornaments  looked  very  much  out  of 
place  on  the  red  tile  floors  and  against  the  tiled  walls.  Those 
that  were  covered  with  Turkish  stuffs,  or  with  coarse  braided 
brown  holland,  looked  far  better.  The  bath  of  Maria  de 
Padella,  and  the  fountain  of  Pedro  II.,  were  alike  dry  and 
empty  ; and  the  quaintly  cut  figures  of  the  time  of 
Charles  V.,  in  box  and  myrtle,  appeared  also  to  have 
suffered  considerably  from  the  long  drought. 

We  returned  to  the  hotel  fairly  tired  of  sight-seeing,  and 
exhausted  by  the  heat.  In  the  evening  we  went  for  a lovely 
drive  in  Las  Delicias,  by  the  old  Torre  d’Oro  (where  the 
gold  from  America  used  to  be  landed  in  the  olden  time) 
to  the  Triana  suburb,  or  gipsy  quarter,  where  all  the  in- 
habitants were  enjoying  the  evening  air,  sitting  on  their 


198 


PILATE’S  HOUSE. 


doorsteps,  chattering,  singing,  and  laughing,  their  hair 
always  elaborately  dressed  with  flowers,  however  squalid 
their  attire  might  be. 

Saturday , October  5 th . — In  order  to  see  something 
before  the  heat  of  the  day  began,  we  made  an  early  start, 
and  went  first  to  the  Casa  de  Pilato,  so  called  from  its 
being  supposed  to  have  been  built  exactly  after  the  model 
of  Pontius  Pilate’s  house  in  Jerusalem,  by  one  of  the  dukes 
of  Medina  Cceli,  after  his  return  from  the  crusades,  in  the 
thirteenth  century.  They  point  out  to  you  the  place 
whence  the  cock  crew,  and  the  balcony  from  which  Pilate 
showed  Jesus  to  the  assembled  multitude,  or  rather  the 
facsimiles  of  those  spots.  Be  this  as  it  may,  it  is  certainly 
a perfect  specimen  of  a Moorish  house,  and,  after  the 
cathedral,  quite  the  thing  best  worth  seeing  in  Seville.  The 
views  into  the  gardens,  through  the  arched  Moorish  win- 
dows, from  the  cool  tile-covered  seats  in  the  recesses  of 
the  dark  airy  staircase,  are  most  charming.  The  work  has 
never  been  defaced  or  restored,  and  the  gardens  and  patios 
are  better  arranged,  and  the  azulejos  far  finer,  than  at  the 
Alcazar.  The  tiles  are  wonderful — such  depth  of  colour, 
such  brilliancy,  such  transparency,  I never  saw  before.  One 
seemed  to  be  able  to  look  into  their  depths,  as  if  they  were 
mother-of-pearl.  In  the  centre  of  the  garden  stood  a shady 
ivy-covered  arbour,  beneath  which  a marble  fountain  was 
playing,  full  of  lilies,  amongst  whose  broad  shining  leaves 
the  gold  fish  glided.  Here  you  might  sit  at  any  hour  of 
the  day,  and  listen  to  the  cool  splashing  of  the  water,  with- 
out fear  of  a single  ray  of  sunshine.  At  night,  charming  as 
it  might  be  in  some  respects,  you  would  inevitably  be  driven 
away  by  the  mosquitoes,  which  swarm  in  this  city.  In 


EMPLOYMENT  FOR  WOMEN 


199 


spite  of  curtains  and  all  sorts  of  precautions,  I could  hardly 
open  my  eyes  this  morning,  and  my  fingers  were  quite 
stiff  and  swollen  from  the  bites  of  these  horrible  insects. 

From  Pilate’s  house  we  paid  another  visit  to  the  cathe- 
dral before  returning  to  the  hotel.  Later  on  we  went  to  see 
the  tobacco  manufactory,  where  some' five  thousand  women 
and  girls  are  employed.  It  is  curious  to  see  them  all  busily 
engaged  in  rolling  cigars,  at  hundreds  of  little  tables,  each 


Tobacco  Manufactory,  Seville. 


occupied  by  five  or  six  women,  in  a lofty  spacious  room, 
more  than  a quarter  of  a mile  long,  and  supported  by 
numerous  arches.  A merry  light-hearted  lot  they  seem, 
kept  in  order  by  a certain  number  of  matrons  or  overseers, 
who  patrol  between  the  tables,  and  see  that  they  do  not 
make  too  much  noise  or  get  into  mischief.  The  women 
take  off  their  dresses  as  they  enter  the  workshop,  to  save 


200 


DECOY  PARTRIDGES. 


them  from  being  spoilt  by  tobacco  juice,  and  perform 
their  task  in  a very  light  airy  costume.  Many  bring  their 
babies,  and  though  the  tiny  occupants  of  the  cradles  and 
chairs  were  pretty  numerous,  I did  not  hear  a single  cry. 
Others  bring  cats  and  dogs,  who  curl  themselves  up  in 
the  tobacco  baskets,  and  wait  patiently  for  the  departure 
of  their  mistresses.  The  work  is  all  paid  by  the  piece, 
not  by  the  hour  ; and  the  earnings  vary,  according  to  the 
skill  of  the  worker,  from  sixpence  to  six  shillings  a day. 
After  being  rolled,  the  cigars  are  dried  on  open  frames  in 
long  rooms  above  and  below  where  the  women  work. 

Both  here  and  at  many  other  places  we  saw  red-legged 
partridges  shut  up  in  small  cages,  hardly  big  enough  for 
them  to  turn  round  in.  Upon  enquiry,  we  found  that  they 
had  been  caught  in  traps,  and  were  now  being  trained  for 
call-birds  to  decoy  others.  When  perfect  they  fetch  from 
ten  to  twenty  pounds  each,  and,  if  extra  good,  even  as  much 
as  thirty  pounds. 

From  the  tobacco  manufactory  we  went  to  see  the 
Duke  of  Montpensier’s  palace,  to  which,  however,  we  could 
not  gain  admittance,  as  it  was  in  all  the  bustle  of  prepara- 
tion for  the  expected  arrival  of  the  Duke.  The  ciLstode 
committed  us  to  the  charge  of  a small  boy,  who  showed  us 
all  over  the  extensive  gardens.  They  are  laid  out  rather 
in  the  English  fashion,  with  the  addition  of  tropical  plants 
and  trees,  and  the  general  effect  is  good ; but  grass  will  not 
grow  here,  and  they  have  had  to  resort  to  all  sorts  of 
expedients  and  experiments  to  find  a substitute.  There  are 
pets  of  all  kinds  in  every  corner — peacocks,  pigeons,  poultry 
of  various  sorts,  macaws,  parrots,  deer,  Alderney  cows,  &c. 

Everybody  here  seems  to  expect  another  revolution 


SAN  FERN  A NDO. 


201 


shortly,  and  to  think  that  either  Don  Carlos  or  the  Duke  of 
Montpensier  would  stand  a good  chance  of  success  in  any 
attempt  to  gain  the  throne. 

Leaving  Seville  by  the  6.30  p.m.  train  for  Cadiz,  we 
reached  the  yacht  about  1 1 p.m.  The  wind  had  at  last 
gone  down,  but  we  found  that  it  had  been  blowing  a gale 
from  the  east  all  the  while  we  were  away. 

Sunday , October  6tk. — The  feast  of  San  Rosalio,  and  a 
great  holiday.  Tom  and  the  children  went  to  early  mass 
at  the  cathedral,  which  was  crowded  with  worshippers, 
some  of  whom  scandalised  the  younger  children  consider- 
ably by  walking  about  and  talking  between  their  devotions 
at  the  various  chapels,  an  experience  quite  new  to  their 
English  ideas.  There  was  no  singing,  but  the  organs 
were  very  fine.  We  had  morning  service  on  board  at 
1 1.30  a.m. 

In  the  afternoon  we  drove  across  the  Salinas  to  San 
Fernando,  a large  old-fashioned  Spanish  town,  where  many 
of  the  inhabitants  were  promenading  the  streets  and  the 
Alameda,  dressed  in  their  Sunday  best,  and  chattering 
volubly,  while  their  less  energetic  neighbours  gazed  upon 
them  between  the  grated  bars  of  their  prisonlike  windows. 

After  dinner  at  the  Fonda  de  Paris,  Cadiz,  we  strolled 
to  the  Plaza  de  Minas,  to  listen  to  the  band.  The  garden 
is  really  beautiful,  full  of  fragrant  and  gaily-flowered  shrubs 
and  plants.  All  Cadiz  seemed  to  be  there  ; pretty  Spanish 
girls  with  mantillas  and  fans  were  numerous,  as  also  were 
ugly  Spanish  dandies,  with  large  cigars  and  high  narrow 
turned-up-brim  hats. 

Mojiday , October  7th. — We  were  off  at  7 a.m.,  but  as 
it  was  a flat  calm  we  went  ashore  about  10  a.m.,  to 


202 


EXPECTED  REVOLUTION. 


visit  a sailors’  hospital.  It  is  a charitable  enterprise,  calcu- 
lated to  be  of  immense  service  to  sailors  of  all  nations 
visiting  this  port,  and  I hope  it  will  be  liberally  supported 
by  shipowners  trading  this  way.  The  state  of  things  in  the 
single  hospital  existing  hitherto  is  really  too  disgusting  for 
description  ; but  even  to  this  institution,  such  as  it  was, 
Protestants  were  denied  admission  by  the  Spanish  authori- 
ties. 

People  here  seem  even  more  apprehensive  of  an  im- 
mediate revolution  than  they  were  at  Seville.  A lady  told 
me  to-day  that  she  feared  they  might  soon  see  repeated 
the  sad  scenes  of  a few  years  ago,  when  the  pretty  flowery 
Alameda  was  filled  with  the  wounded,  the  dying,  and  the 
dead. 

By  noon  we  had  slowly  drifted  out  of  the  harbour, 
after  a very  narrow  escape  of  going  bn  to  Las  Puercas  (the 
pigs),  as  the  dangerous  rocks  at  the  entrance  are  called 
from  their  fancied  resemblance  to  pigs’  backs.  A fresh 
fair  breeze  sprang  up,  before  which  we  were  soon  bowling 
along  through  Trafalgar  Bay. 

Shortly  after  io  p.m.  we  were  agreeably  surprised  by  a 
serenade,  got  up  by  some  of  the  servants  and  crew  in 
honour  of  its  being  my  birthday.  They  sang  some  songs 
very  nicely,  and  finished  up  with  congratulations  for  me 
and  cheers,  I think,  for  nearly  everybody  on  board. 

By  midnight  yye  had  passed  Tarifa  Point,  and  entered 
the  straits  of  Gibraltar. 

Tuesday , October  8th. — At  1.30  a.m.  we  dropped  our 
anchor  just  outside  the  New  Mole,  and  went  ashore. 
The  weather,  which  had  been  very  bad,  having  by  this 
time  begun  to  improve,  Tom  and  Mabelle  walked  up  to 


CEMETERY  AT  GIBRALTAR. 


203 


the  signal  station,  whilst  the  rest  of  us  went  for  a drive  to 
the  North  Front,  where  the  children  were  delighted,  first 
with  the  camp,  then  at  seeing  all  the  hounds  out  at  exercise, 
soldiers  running  foot-races,  horses  being  trained  for  the 
race  meeting  next  week,  &c.  I paid  a visit,  in  the  mean- 
while, to  the  cemetery,  to  look  for  the  grave  of  a very  dear 
friend.  It  was  the  first  time  I had  ever  been  there,  and  I 
had  no  idea  before  what  a quiet  secluded  resting-place  it 
is.  Jews,  Mohammedans,  Catholics,  and  Protestants  repose 
there  side  by  side,  a light  iron  railing  forming  the  only 
separation  between  the  graves.  Once  inside  the  gates,  the 
trees  and  shrubs  form  a complete  screen  from  the  outer 
world,  of  which  nothing  is  visible  but  the  grand  old  rock 
itself,  keeping  watch  as  it  were  over  her  children  sleeping 
at  her  feet,  and  the  mountains  of  Spain  stretching  away 
into  the  far  distance.  Here  and  there  one  catches  an 
occasional  glimpse  of  the  sea,‘  and  of  the  masts  of  the 
vessels  lying  at  anchor  in  the  bay  or  sailing  away  to  the  far 
east. 

We  have  had  many  invalids  on  board  lately,  and  have 
only  to-day  learned  that  the  water  at  Vigo  (where  we  got 
our  last  supply)  is  so  bad — except  from  two  sources — that 
an  Admiralty  order  exists  prohibiting  the  vessels  of  the 
Mediterranean  and  Channel  fleets  from  refilling  their  tanks 
at  that  port.  Captain  Edie  not  long  ago  had  seventeen 
men  down  at  once  with  typhoid  fever,  on  board  a com- 
paratively small  ship,  the  sickness  in  that  case  being  clearly 
traced  to  the  use  of  the  Vigo  water. 

Wednesday , October  gth. — The  anniversary  of  our  wed- 
ding-day, duly  celebrated  on  the  part  of  the  crew  and 
servants  by  the  consumption  of  roast  beef,  plum-pudding, 


204 


THE  ‘ LANCASHIRE  WITCH: 


and  port  wine,  and  on  the  part  of  the  children  and  maids 
by  a picnic  on  shore,  up  by  the  signal  station. 

About  i p.m.  we  all  went  to  pay  a visit  to  the  ‘ Lancashire 
Witch,’  a fine  auxiliary-screw  three-masted  yacht,  designed 
by  Mr.  St.  Clare  Byrne,  and  built  on  the  Clyde.  She  is 
constructed  very  much  on  the  lines  of  the  ‘ Sunbeam,’  was 
launched  only  about  six  weeks  ago,  and  is  now  out  here 
on  a trial  trip.  There  is  a great  deal  to  be  done  to  her 
before  she  will  be  finished  internally,  but  she  is  perfect  in 
many  respects,  and  her  circular  saloon  is  quite  unique,  and 
will  be  very  effective  if  prettily  decorated. 

On  board  the  yacht  we  happened  to  meet  the  English 
Vice-Consul  for  Siam,  who  showed  us  some  beautiful  speci- 
mens of  Siamese  gold-work,  and  a complete  set  of  the  old 
native  coinage — little  lumps  of  silver,  pinched  up  on  each 
side  and  stamped.  When  arranged  in  their  proper  gradation, 
they  look  just  like  the  vertebrae  of  some  animal.  The 
new  coinage,  of  which  he  also  had  some  specimens,  is  very 
bright  and  handsome. 

Thursday , October  io th. — Having  had  a good  deal  of 
trouble  with  our  photographs,  and  not  knowing  exactly 
where  the  fault  lay,  we  asked  the  General  to  allow  the 
head  of  the  photographic  department  here  to  come  on 
board  for  a few  hours  to  help  us.  He  accordingly  arrived 
at  7 a.m.  while  it  was  still  cool  and  fresh,  before  the  sun 
had  come  over  the  Rock,  and  gave  us  what  I think  will 
be  some  useful  hints  about  the  chemicals,  exposure,  &c.  ; 
but  I much  fear,  from  what  he  says,  that  there  is  some- 
thing wrong  with  the  plates  themselves,  in  which  case 
nothing  remains  but  to  hope  that  the  next  lot  sent  out 
from  England  may  turn  out  better. 


RECEPTION  AT  THE  CONVENT. 


205 


After  a visit  to  the  ‘ Curlew/  a gunboat  on  her  way 
back  from  China,  we  went  to  lunch  with  Lord  and  Lady 
Napier  at  the  convent,  and  heard  a good  deal  of  interest- 
ing conversation  about  India  and  Afghanistan.  The  house 
has  been  thoroughly  done  up  since  we  were  here  last 
The  old  historical  portraits  of  officers  connected  with  the 
government  and  the  various  sieges  of  Gibraltar  have  been 
cleaned  and  brought  up  from  the  hall,  and  now  form  a very 
good  and  interesting  collection  in  the  dining-room,  and 
several  other  improvements  have  been  made.  In  the 
morning  Lord  Napier  had  held  a levee,  and  in  the  after- 
noon Lady  Napier  had  an  afternoon  reception.  It  was  a 
pretty  sight,  in  the  semi-tropical  garden,  to  see  the  people 
moving  about,  or  sitting  on  the  bright-coloured  chairs  and 
sofas  under  the  trees,  or  enjoying  lawn-tennis  in  the  cool 
shady  court.  The  children  of  the  party,  including  our  own, 
were  entertained  at  the  other  end  of  the  garden,  where 
they  amused  themselves  in  their  own  way  with  Moorish 
swings  and  merry-go-rounds,  toy  tea-services,  and  all  sorts 
of  other  things  delightful  to  their  juvenile  hearts. 

After  leaving  the  Convent  we  went  on  board  the  ‘ Sun- 
beam ’ to  receive  the  Governor,  Lady  Napier,  and  suite,  who 
came  to  tea  at  6 p.m.  and  paid  us  a long  visit.  They 
seem  to  be  most  deservedly  popular  here,  everybody  being 
delighted  to  have  them  back  again,  and  wondering  what 
they  would  do  without  them  if  the  exigencies  of  war  should 
call  him  away. 

We  had  intended  starting  this  evening,  but  it  was  late 
when  our  visitors  left  us,  and  quite  calm  ; and  so  our 
departure  was  deferred  until  early  to-morrow. 

Friday , October  nth. — We  set  sail  by  6 a.m.,  but,  as 


A BATTLE  ROYAL. 


206 


is  so  frequently  the  case  when  we  are  anxious  to  start, 
there  was  not  a breath  of  wind,  and  we  drifted  about 
in  the  bay,  sometimes  going  backwards  with  the  tide,  till 
nearly  sunset  While  thus  detained  we  found  ourselves 
surrounded  by  a shoal  of  porpoises,  lazily  disporting  them- 
selves on  the  surface  of  the  water,  slowly  turning  over  or 
diving  down.  Suddenly  they  seemed  to  fall  into  the  greatest 
possible  state  of  excitement 
• — rushing  about,  lashing  the  ^ ^ - 

water  with  their  tails,  and  - ^ 

making  the  most  tremendous  ' W ^ 

commotion.  Out  from  the  v -T  J"  ~ ~ 

midst  of  them  suddenly  rose  vJvj3wV;^v 


A Water  Party, 


a shoal  of  bonitas,  or  flying-fish,  three  or  four  feet  long, 
who,  after  taking  leaps  of  four  or  five  feet  into  the  air,  fell 
back  into  the  very  jaws  of  the  porpoises.  This  scene  lasted 
for  some  time,  and  was  repeated  in  various  parts  of  the  bay, 
as  the  victims  and  their  devourers  surged  backwards  and 
forwards,  while  the  gulls  hovered  and  shrieked  overhead, 
ready  to  swoop  down  and  carry  off  any  scraps  that  they 
could  find.  It  looked  as  if  the  poor  bonitas,  having  been 


QUARANTINE. 


20  7 


driven  from  below  by  the  sharks,  had  suddenly  found  them- 
selves in  the  midst  of  other  enemies,  their  escape  from 
whom  was  prevented  by  the  gulls  hovering  above,  so  that 
there  was  no  safety  for  them  anywhere.  It  is  quite  impos- 
sible to  give  any  idea  of  the  animated  nature  of  the  scene 
and  of  the  noise  and  confusion  caused  by  all  this  rapid 
rushing  through  the  water. 

By  sunset  we  were  only  just  outside  Europa  Point. 
The  funnel,  however,  was  not  raised,  as  Tom  kept  hoping 
that  a breeze  from  the  right  quarter  might  spring  up  before 
the  morning. 

Saturday , October  12 th. — It  was  still  almost  calm  early 
this  morning,  but  a light  easterly  breeze  sprang  up  later 
on  and  gradually  freshened. 

We  tacked  from  Marbella  (said  to  be  a village  of 
thieves)  to  Ceuta,  the  Spanish  port  in  Morocco.  The 
authorities  at  Gibraltar  have  just  decided  to  enforce  quaran- 
tine on  all  vessels  arriving  from  this  port,  in  consequence 
of  the  cholera  now  raging  at  Fez  and  in  various  other  parts 
of  Morocco.  This  may  be  regarded  as  a slight  retaliation 
for  the  unnecessary  restrictions  now  imposed  at  all  the 
Spanish  ports  on  vessels  arriving  from  Gibraltar.  Had  it 
not  been  for  the  fear  of  quarantine,  we  should  have  gone 
to  Malaga,  and  probably  thence  up  to  Granada,  to  meet 
some  friends,  and  to  see  once  more  the  unrivalled  Alham- 
bra. It  is  years  since  we  were  there,  and  just  now  its 
beauty  would  have  been  enhanced  by  the  effulgence  of  the 
bright  harvest  moon. 

At  nightfall  we  saw  the  light  on  Cape  Sacratif,  near 
the  small  town  of  Motril.  From  early  morning  eight 
little  pilot  fish  had  been  following,  or  rather  leading  us, 


208 


PILOT  FISH . 


swimming  just  in  front  of  our  bow,  now  fast,  now  slow,  as 
the  breeze  freshened  or  died  away.  They  would  let  the 
stem  of  the  vessel  almost  touch  them,  and  would  then 
dart  forward  with  great  swiftness  for  a few  feet  Sailors 
are  very  superstitious  about  them,  and  say  they  always 
come  to  warn  a ship  of  danger,  or  to  foretell  the  approach 
of  sharks.  Thinking  that  the  latter  idea  might  not  be 
entirely  groundless,  we  caused  a very  ugly-looking  barbed 
iron  hook  and  chain  to  be  prepared  for  action  ; but  no 
shark  made  his  appearance.  All  day  long  we  had  been 
in  the  midst  of  a crowd  of  ships,  both  steamers  and  sail- 
ing vessels.  Many  of  the  former  had  passed  us,  and 
several  of  the  latter  had  been  left  behind.  At  sunset  we 
were  still  among  quite  a little  fleet  of  barques  and  full- 
rigged  ships,  all  of  which  had  every  stitch  of  canvas  set ; 
and  as  the  sky  became  dark  and  the  moon  rose,  their  little 
red  and  green  lights  were  to  be  seen  on  every  side,  shining 
like  glowworms. 

Tom  and  I had  retired  to  rest,  and  were  both  fast 
asleep,  when  Mr.  Bingham  knocked  at  the  door  to  tell  us 
that  Kindred  wanted  to  see  Tom  on  deck.  This  was  by 
way  of  not  alarming  us,  the  fact  being  that  we  were  in 
imminent  risk  of  a collision,  and  that  Kindred  did  not  see 
his  way  to  avoiding  it.  As  there  was  no  wind,  I never 
thought  of  anything  being  amiss,  and  did  not  rouse  myself, 
till  I heard  Kindred  say  to  Tom,  in  an  agonised  voice, 

‘ She  wont  come  round,  and  we  must  be  into  her.’  After 
our  recent  experience  in  Portsmouth  Harbour,  I lost 
no  time  in  rushing  up  on  deck,  when  I saw  the  huge 
black  hull  of  a barque  bearing  slowly  down  upon  us, 
with  her  red  light  showing,  and  her  bowsprit  pointed  right 


A COLLISION  ESCAPED. 


209 


amidships.  As  there  was  no  breeze,  we  were  both  quite 
helpless,  and,  in  spite  of  all  we  could  do  in  the  way  of 
shifting  sails,  nothing  seemed  to  succeed.  Whether  we 
tried  to  get  ahead  or  astern  of  her,  there  appeared  to  be 
some  force  of  attraction  between  the  two  ships  that  drove 
them  slowly  but  surely  towards  each  other,  as  they  rose 
and  sank  on  the  heavy  swell.  After  about  half  an  hours 
suspense,  a breath  of  wind  came,  and  we  managed  to  draw 
slowly  ahead,  so  as  to  allow  her  to  pass  astern  of  us.  I 


Colliding  nearly. 


never  thought  I should  ‘have  been  so  glad  to  see  any  green 
light  as  I was  to  catch  sight  of  hers.  By  the  time  mid- 
night had  arrived  we  were  at  a really  safe  distance,  and 
retired  to  rest  again. 

At  breakfast  this  morning  we  not  unnaturally  discussed 
the  events  of  the  night,  and  I asked  Tom  what  would  have 
happened  had  we  really  come  into  contact  with  the  barque. 
‘ Oh ! we  should  have  been  bumped  against,  or  have 
scrunched  up  and  down  against  one  another,  till  we  went  to 


F 


210 


ENTERPRISING  TRADERS. 


the  bottom.  We  should  all  have  had  to  get  on  board  of 
the  barque,  and  take  passage  for  any  port  to  which  she 
might  be  bound,  and  to  which  she  would  take  us.’  Rather 
a melancholy  picture  of  all  our  little  party,  suddenly 
embarked  on  the  deck  of  a strange  and  dirty  vessel,  to 
be  carried  we  knew  not  whither,  while  our  dearly  beloved 
‘ Sunbeam/  the  precious  floating  home  that  has  carried 
us  so  many  thousand  leagues  in  safety  and  comfort,  lay 
quietly  beneath  the  waters,  on  the  surface  of  which  she  had 
thus  far  ridden  so  securely. 

Sunday , October  13th. — At  2.30  a.m.  we  commenced 
steaming,  and  at  6 a.m.  we  were  off  Almeria,  a large  town 
situated  in  a plain  of  great  luxuriance,  on  the  shores  of  a 
noble  bay  of  the  same  name.  The  big  white  houses  with 
snowy  fronts,  facing  the  sea,  looked  quite  like  palaces, 
while  the  old  brown  Moorish  castle  and  walls,  surrounded 
as  they  are  by  orange  groves  and  green  foliage  of  all  sorts, 
enhanced  the  picturesque  appearance  of  the  place. 

At  8 a.m.  there  was  a nice  breeze,  and  at  about  10  a.m. 
the  yacht  was  off  Cape  Agate  (Cape  de  Gat),  so  called 
from  the  mountain  being  composed  almost  entirely  of 
spars  and  quartz,  in  which  many  amethysts  are  met  with. 

At  a distance  of  about  five  miles  from  the  cape  we 
were  hailed  by  a small  sailing  boat,  manned  by  six  men, 
who,  to  our  surprise,  offered  us  grapes,  melons,  pomegra- 
nates, potatoes,  and  all  sorts  of  fruit  and  vegetables,  which 
we  were  as  glad  to  buy  as  they  were  to  sell.  Like  the 
Fuegians  in  the  Straits  of  Magellan,  ‘ galleta  ’ (biscuit)  and 
‘ tabaca  5 was  th^ir  cry,  and  I believe  some  of  our  crew 
made  far  better  bargains  with  them  in  exchange  for  those 
commodities  than  we  did  in  exchange  for  coin,  though  of 


TACKING. 


211 


the  Spanish  realm.  I thought  it  was  highly  enterprising 
of  them  to  set  up  this  sort  of  village  shop  on  the  sea. 

We  had  morning  service  at  11.30  a.m.  and  evening 
service  at  3.30  p.m.  In  the  afternoon  the  sea  was  quite 
rough,  with  a strong  contrary  wind,  and  at  sunset  we 
fancied  we  could  still  discern  the  Rock  of  Gibraltar.  The 
light  on  Cape  Falcon,  on  the  coast  of  Africa,  became  visible 
later  on.  We  tacked  again  towards  Cartagena,  and  then 
back  again,  but  seemed  to  make  very  little  progress. 


Spanish  Market  Boat. 


Oran.  Harbour, 


CHAPTER  III. 

ORAN  AND  CAGLIARI. 

The  golden  lime  and  orange  there  were  seen 
On  fragra7it  branches  of  perpetual  green. 

Monday , October  14 th. — The  wind  was  still  dead  ahead, 
and  as  there  seemed  to  be  no  prospect  of  a change  we 
decided  to  alter  our  plans,  put  the  ship  about,  and  run 
before  the  breeze  to  the  French  town  of  Oran,  in  Algeria, 
where  we  had  never  yet  been.  Soon  after  the  change 
was  made,  the  wind  dropped  to  a calm,  fires  were 
lighted,  at  3.30  p.m.  steam  was  up,  two  hours  later  the 
pilot  came  on  board,  and  before  6 p.m.  we  were  lying 
safely  at  anchor  in  the  well-sheltered  harbour  of  Oran. 


ARAB  ‘FANTASIA.’ 


21 3 


The  town  stands  prettily  on  a sloping  hill,  and  the  three 
branches  of  the  river  running  through  it  cause  the  gardens 
and  valleys  to  wear  a most  luxuriant  aspect  It  has  been 
strongly  fortified  by  Moors,  by  Spaniards,  and  by  the  French, 
two  forts,  built  on  high  peaks,  jealously  guarding  the 
entrance  to  the  harbour.  It  fell  dark  soon  after  we  arrived  ; 
but  the  civil  capitaine  dn  port  made  no  difficulty  about 
giving  us  pratique.  He  had  descried  the  yacht  from  the 
race-course  on  the  hills,  and  had  hurried  back  on  purpose 
to  look  after  us.  We  therefore  landed  and  found  our  way 
up  a road  running  through  gardens,  where  the  perfume  of 
the  flowers  was  almost  overpoweringly  sweet,  to  the  Hotel 
de  la  Paix.  Its  windows  look  out  over  a sort  of  square 
with  palm-trees  in  the  centre,  under  which  Moors,  Arabs, 
negroes,  and  Zouaves  were  seated  in  the  most  picturesque 
groups.  An  Arab  fete  was  going  on,  with  its  monotonous 
music,  weird  processions,  and  twirling  lights,  as  the  white- 
robed  dancers,  carrying  a large  circle  of  wood  stuck  with 
candles,  slowly  revolved  in  rhythmic  measure  to  the  sounds 
of  dull  drums  and  squeaky  pipes,  a spectacle  which  afforded 
intense  delight  to  our  children.  The  large  coffee-room  was 
crowded,  this  being  the  second  day  of  the  races.  I am 
sorry  we  have  just  missed  them,  as  I believe  they  were 
very  good,  the  programme  consisting  of  flat  races  and  a 
few  trotting  matches,  and  finishing  up  with  a grand  Arab 
‘ fantasia.’  Arab  chiefs  from  far  and  near  had  arrived  for 
the  occasion,  mounted  on  their  best  horses,  and  each  at- 
tended by  numerous  followers.  After  racing  some  of  their 
horses  against  those  of  the  French  officers,  they  had  some 
fun  among  themselves,  and  then  gave  a grand  exhibition 
of  their  prowess  in  their  native  sports  of  firing,  spearing, 


214 


ORAN. 


and  manoeuvring  at  full  gallop.  After  dinner  we  sat  for 
some  time  in  the  street,  outside  a cafe \ observing  the 
motley  groups  as  they  passed  and  re-passed,  and  reading 
the  latest  French  newspapers,  which,  however,  did  not  ap. 
pear  to  contain  the  latest  news. 

Tuesday , October  i$tk. — At  9 a.m.  we  landed,  started 
for  a drive  through  the  town  and  out  at  one  of  the  gates  to 
a fertile  valley  beyond,  where  every  garden  was  ablaze  with 
.flowers  and  the  trees  were  weighed  down  with  fruit.  So 
carefully  has  the  system  of  irrigation  been  carried  out  by 
the  Moors,  that  every  drop  of  water  does  its  appointed 
work,  without  stint  and  without  waste,  producing  a thick 
mass  of  purple  ipomceas,  scarlet  pomegranates,  cytisus, 
passion-flowers,  jasmine,  hibiscus,  &c.,  and  bearing  fruit  in 
golden  oranges,  pomegranates,  figs,  pears,  prickly  pears, 
and  melons.  The  view  over  the  country  from  the  hills 
behind  the  town,  towards  the  Atlas  mountains,  is  flat,  dry, 
and  burnt  up. 

' Oran  itself  is  a fine  French  town  of  40,000  inhabitants, 
extending  over  several  hills.  The  hotels  and  cafes  are 
excellent,  and  very  cheap.  Despite  these  advantages,  very 
few  English  people  are  to  be  met  with,  the  exceptions  con- 
sisting chiefly  of  people  connected  with  the  working  of  the 
mines  in  the  neighbourhood  and  occasional  travellers  in 
search  of  health.  Letters  take  only  four  days,  and  telegrams 
six  hours,  to  reach  London.  Tlemcen,  120  kilometres  off, 
is  a large  town,  standing  in  the  middle  of  beautiful  woods 
and  forests  containing  magnificent  timber,  not  far  from  the 
confines  of  the  desert  on  one  side  and  Morocco  on  the  other. 
From  Oran  one  may  also  go  to  Mansourah,  a ruined  Moorish 
town,  with  alabaster  or  onyx  quarries,  from  which  the  large 


A NCH ORA GE  OF  MARS-EL-KIBIR. 


215 


pillars  in  the  grand  Opera  House  at  Paris  were  taken  ; and 
several  other  places  of  interest  are  not  difficult  of  access.  The 
railway  is  finished  to  Algiers,  which  may  be  reached  in 
fourteen  hours,  unless  the  journey  is  broken  at  Orleans- 
ville,  Relizane,  or  Blidah,  all  of  which  are  interesting. 
Three  kilometres  from  Oran  is  Mars-el-Kibir,  a safe 
anchorage  for  ships  of 
any  size  in  all  wea- 
thers, and  always' acces- 
sible to  vessels  under 
sail  alone.  It  is  a 
pretty  drive  round  the 
bay  to  it  from  Oran. 

After  breakfast  at 
the  hotel,  we  returned 
on  board  the  yacht,  in 
order  to  take  advantage 
of  the  wind,  which  had 
chopped  right  round  to 
the  west,  to  make  an- 
other start  Part  of  the 
French  fleet,  consisting 
of  three  ironclads  and 
a despatch  vessel,  ar- 
rived this  morning,  and 
anchored  off  Mars-el-Kibir.  We  thought  at  one  time  of 
going  to  pay  them  a visit ; but  as  the  wind  was  so  strong 
that  it  would  have  been  a long  business  to  beat  back  against 
it,  the  idea  was  abandoned.  Having-  weighed  anchor  and 
got  clear  of  the  basin,  an  evolution  which  was  accomplished 
with  great  dexterity,  considering  the  length  of  the  yacht, 


2l6 


WHIRLWIND  FROM  THE  SAHARA. 


we  proceeded  on  our  course  for  two  or  three  hours  most 
merrily,  when,  alas  ! the  wind  dropped,  and  we  were  be- 
calmed for  the  rest  of  the  day  and  nearly  the  whole  night. 

Wednesday , October  16th. — We  had  steam  up  early  this 
morning.  Then  came  a fair  wind,  the  engines  were  stopped, 
and  sails  set  We  were  close  to  the  coast  all  day  long, 
and  could  see  the  Atlas  mountains,  and  at  night  the  light 
on  Cape  Tenez.  The  sunset  was  very  curious,  the  sky 
to  the  southward  being  of  a lurid  sand  colour  with  light 
grey  clouds  floating  in  the  foreground.  It  looked  like, 
and  doubtless  was,  a violent  sandstorm  from  the  Great 
Sahara  driving  the  clouds  before  it.  We  were  becalmed 
all  night  again,  and  it  seemed  as  though  we  never  should 
reach  Cagliari  or  Naples,  as  Tom  does  not  care  to  steam 
more  than  is  absolutely  necessary.  Having  heard  at  Oran 
that  the  eruption  of  Vesuvius  has  really  commenced,  I 
am  very  anxious  to  get  there  as  soon  as  possible  to 
witness  it,  though  I do  not  expect  it  will  be  nearly  so 
grand  a sight  as  Kilauea. 

Thursday , October  lj th. — I was  awakened  at  6 a.m.  by 
being  almost  thrown  out  of  bed.  I heard  shrieks  and  a 
mixture  of  laughter  and  lamentation  proceeding  from  the 
nursery,  while  crashes  and  noises  of  all  kinds  issued  from 
the  other  cabins.  A sudden  squall  had  struck  us,  and  for 
a few  minutes  all  was  bustle  and  hurry,  while  sails  were 
lowered  down  on  deck,  halyards  let  go,  &c.  The  usually 
tidy  deck  was  soon  a mass  of  ropes,  spars,  and  sails,  appa- 
rently in  inextricable  confusion,  though  in  reality  everybody 
knew  exactly  where  to  lay  his  hand  on  what  was  wanted. 
Before  all  these  operations  were  completed,  the  first  squall 
had  passed  over  ; but  it  was  shortly  succeeded  by  another 


WINGED  REFUGEES  ON  BOARD. 


21 7 


and  another,  and  this  state  of  things  continued  throughout 
the  day.  A violent  sirocco  was  blowing  the  whole  time, 
covering  the  decks  with  sand  ; and  each  time  that  a fresh 
squall  came  it  was  just  as  if  the  door  of  a furnace  had  been 
opened,  letting  out  a blast  of  hot  air.  Strong  and  fierce  as 
the  wind  was,  it  heated  rather  than  cooled  one  as  it  passed, 
and  seemed  to  take  all  the  strength  and  energy  out  of 
everybody.  At  midnight  the  squalls  became  so  sudden 
and  frequent  that  main  and  mizen  sails  had  to  be  taken  in 
and  everything  made  snug.  This  atmospheric  disturbance 
was  undoubtedly  connected  with  the  great  whirlwind  from 
the  desert  which  we  saw  yesterday,  and  which  was  now 
reaching  us,  slightly  tempered  by  its  contact  with  the  sea. 

We  have  had  an  enormous  number  of  birds  on  board 
to-day,  blown  off  shore  doubtless  by  the  force  of  the  wind  : 
starlings  innumerable,  four  large  hawks,  an  owl,  linnet, 
robin-redbreast,  thrush,  redstart,  tom-tit,  water-wagtails, 
and  a great  many  others.  Poor  little  things  ! — they  were 
quite  done  up,  and  in  many  cases  lay  panting  and  ex- 
hausted on  the  deck.  I did  so  wish  we  could  make  them 
understand  that  they  should  have  food,  water,  shelter,  and 
rest,  and  be  let  go  when  we  got  near  land.  The  sailors 
went  crawling  and  creeping  about  all  over  the  decks,  rig- 
ging, and  masts,  to  try  and  catch  them,  and  succeeded  in 
securing  some  by  means  of  an  ingenious  sort  of  trap  ; but 
they  are  most  of  them  too  frightened  to  eat,  and  will,  I 
fear,  all  die,  except  the  starlings,  who  appear  very  bold 
and  happy. 

Friday , October  iSth. — Nothing  particular  happened. 

Saturday , October  lgtk. — At  8 a.m.  we  were  abreast  of 
Cape  Spartivento,  the  southernmost  point  of  the  island  of 


218 


SARDINIA. 


Sardinia.  It  was  curious  to  observe,  in  steaming  along  the 
rugged  mountainous  coast,  that  upon  every  little  rocky  point 
of  special  prominence  a quaint-looking  round  tower  was 
perched,  very  similar  to  those  one  sees  in  Ireland.  About 
10.30  a.m.  we  entered  the  bay  of  Cagliari.  It  is  surrounded 
by  hills,  all  of  which  are  surmounted  by  ruined  castles,  and 
have  picturesque  little  village  nestling  at  their  feet.  In 
the  bay  were  several  ships  at  anchor,  including  the  ‘Vittorio 
Emanuele,’  an  Italian  man-of-war,  now  used  as  a training- 
ship.  We  passed  through  them  all,  and  anchored  at  noon 
close  to  the  town,  in  four  fathoms  of  water,  just  as  the  pilot 
came  on  board.  The  doctor  immediately  went  ashore  with 
him  and  the  steward,  to  see  about  the  bill  of  health,  while 
we  contented  ourselves  with  observing  and  photographing 
the  town  from  beneath  the  pleasant  shade  of  the  awning, 
regaling  ourselves  at  the  same  time  with  delicious  grapes, 
purchased  at  a penny  a pound  from  the  boats  swarming 
alongside. 

When  the  heat  of  the  day  had  somewhat  subsided,  the 
children  and  I went  ashore,  whilst  Tom  turned  in  to  take  a 
much-needed  nap  after  all  the  fatigues  of  navigation.  A 
carriage  had  been  ordered  to  be  ready  for  us,  but  it  turned 
out  that  there  were  only  two  in  the  place,  kept  by  the  same 
man,  who  is  also  the  proprietor  of  two  hearses,  and  that  all 
four  vehicles  were  unfortunately  engaged  this  afternoon. 

Salt  appears  to  be  one  of  the  principal  articles  of  export, 
as  much  as  175,000  tons  having  already  been  sent  away 
this  year.  It  can  scarcely  yield  a large  revenue,  however, 
as  the  cost  per  ton,  at  the  ship’s  side,  is  only  eleven  francs, 
and  the  expense  of  production  by  evaporation  in  salt- 
pans is  not  less  than  three  and  a half  francs  per  ton. 


SHIPS  LADING  WITH  SALT. 


shovel  the  salt  into  baskets,  which  are  handed  up  by  another 
man  to  a stage,  halfway  up  the  ship’s  side,  whence  they  are 
again  handed  to  a man  on  the  bulwarks,  who  pitches  the 
salt  into  the  hold,  and  the  empty  basket  into  the  boat,  with 
almost  incredible  celerity. 


For  removing  the  salt  from  the  boats  into  the  ship’s  hold, 
a charge  of  fifty-five  centimes  per  ton  is  made.  The  earn- 
ings of  the  labourers  employed  must  be  widely  different 
from  those  of  the  stevedores  in  the  London  docks.  We 
watched  the  process  for  some  time.  Two  men  in  the  boat 


Our  State-room. 


220 


CAGLIARI. 


We  landed  close  to  the  Custom  House,  and  proceeded 
along  the  quay  to  the  residence  of  the  English  Consul, 
whose  son  kindly  offered  to  accompany  us  on  our  tour  of 
inspection.  The  streets  of  Cagliari  are  a little  like  those  of 
Malta,  very  narrow  and  steep,  consisting  sometimes,  as  far 
as  the  roadway  is  concerned,  of  steps  only.  Every  window 
had  its  balcony,  some  of  handsome  old  Spanish  iron- 
work, and  all  full  of  flowers.  All  the  inhabitants  appeared 
to  be  making  preparations  to  present  a clean  appearance 
on  Sunday,  for  between  most  of  the  balconies  were  stretched 
lines  hung  with  diverse  and  strange  garments.  We  climbed 
up  and  up,  past  some  fine  mediaeval  towers  and  walls,  till 
we  emerged  from  the  mass  of  narrow  streets  on  to  what 
was  once  the  site  of  the  old  ramparts,  now  converted  into 
a charming  promenade,  commanding  extensive  views  over 
sea  and  land.  On  the  bastion  are  fine  stone  pines  and 
pepper  trees,  planted  among  the  square  paving  flags.  There 
are  several  of  these  promenades  on  the  heights  above  the 
town,  and  they  add  greatly  to  the  attractions  of  the  place. 
The  cathedral,  castle,  and  archbishop’s  and  governor’s 
palaces  stand  at  the  top  of  the  hill,  and  all  the  best  houses 
are  clustered  around  them.  As  you  descend,  therefore, 
towards  the  shore,  you  get  lower  and  lower  in  the  social 
grade,  until  you  reach  the  habitations  of  the  poorest  class, 
close  to  the  water’s  edge. 

At  the  hotel,  where  we  had  been  warned  that  we  must 
not  expect  great  things  in  the  way  of  accommodation,  we 
were  agreeably  surprised  to  find  a very  pretty  little  salle- 
d-manger , decorated  with  flowers  and  looking-glasses,  and 
to  be  excellently  served  by  civil  and  attentive  waiters. 
They  certainly  spoke  a sort  of  Spanish  patois  which  it  was 


SARDINIAN  JEWELLERY. 


22 


impossible  to  understand,  and  on  our  side  it  was  equally 
impossible  for  us  to  make  ourselves  intelligible  to  them  ; 
but  they  managed  to  bring  us  what  we  wanted,  which  was 
the  great  thing  after  all.  There  were  many  officers  dining 
in  the  room,  belonging  to  the  different  Italian  regiments 
quartered  here.  After  dinner  we  descended  a steep  dirty 
street,  a short  cut  to  the  post,  stopping  on  our  way  several 
times  to  listen  to  the  music  issuing  from  the  various  houses. 

The  Sardinians  bear  traces  of  their  mixed  origin  both 
in  their  dress  and  in  their  personal  appearance.  The  men 
look  and  dress  like  modern  Greeks,  the  dark-eyed  women 
like  Spaniards.  The  ladies,  as  a rule,  wear  mantillas,  and 
the  dresses  of  some  of  the  peasants  are  really  very  beauti- 
ful and  costly.  The  jewellery  which  they  wear,  made  of 
pure  gold,  decorated  with  seed  pearls  or  garnets,  is  often 
excellent  in  design  and  workmanship.  The  men  wear 
handsome  shirt  and  sleeve  studs,  and  waistcoat  buttons  of 
thick  worked  gold  or  silver,  set  with  garnets  ; the  women 
have  large  earrings,  some  of  them  three  inches  square,  set 
with  pearls,  besides  finger-rings,  hair-pins,  and  necklaces. 
We  went  this  afternoon  into  a shop  where  nothing  but  this 
peasant  jewellery  is  sold,  and  I was  surprised  both  at  its 
high  price  and  at  the  great  merit  of  the  workmanship. 

None  of  us  were  enterprising  enough  to  go  to  the  theatre, 
where  ‘ L Africaine  ’ — as  a play,  not  as  an  opera — was  to  be 
acted. 

Sunday , October  20th. — Tom,  the  children,  and  I went 
ashore  at  9 a.m.  to  hear  mass  at  the  cathedral.  This 
time  we  succeeded  in  securing  a carriage,  in  which  we 
drove  up  a fine  road,  winding  round  and  round  the 
town,  and  having  a promenade  on  either  side,  shaded  by 


222 


PEASANT  COSTUMES . 


trees  and  well  provided  with  seats.  The  cathedral  is  a 
handsome  mediaeval  building.  The  marbles  inside  are 
beautiful,  each  chapel  being  constructed  of  a distinct  colour 
and  variety.  The  large  altar,  an  admirable  specimen  of 
seventeenth  century  repousse  work,  is  of  solid  silver,  and 
is  furnished  with  silver  statuettes  and  candelabras.  These 
have  as  yet  escaped  the  cupidity  of  the  Government,  which 
has  already  seized  and  sold  much  of  the  church  plate,, 
including  a beautiful  dish  by  Benvenuto  Cellini,  much  to 
the  indignation  of  both  the  clergy  and  the  people,  which 
I should  have  thought  it  was  hardly  worth  their  while  to 
arouse.  This  celebrated  dish  was  the  pride  alike  of  the 
town  and  the  province  ; and  yet  the  proceeds  of  its  sale 
would  not  suffice  to  pay  a single  regiment  or  to  maintain 
a man-of-war  more  than  a very  few  days. 

The  service  at  the  cathedral,  which  boasts  a good 
organ  and  a fine  stringed  band,  was  imposing.  The  con- 
gregation included  many  smartly  dressed  people  and 
numerous  peasants  from  the  surrounding  villages  in  their 
picturesque  costumes.  The  jackets  of  the  women  are,  as  a 
rule,  of  scarlet  cloth,  ornamented  with  silver  buttons  and 
trimmed  with  gold  lace,  and  worn  over  a white  linen 
chemise  with  open  sleeves.  On  their  heads'  they  wear  a 
piece  of  scarlet  cloth,  descending  to  the  shoulders,  while 
the  lower  part  of  the  face  is  concealed  by  a veil.  Some  of 
the  younger  women  wear  tight-fitting  bodices  of  satin, 
richly  embroidered,  and  above  this  bodice  a black  velvet 
vest,  also  embroidered  with  gold  and  silver  lace,  and  confined 
by  a broad  belt  of  the  same  material.  Jewellery  in  pro- 
lusion— chains,  rings,  and  necklaces — is  worn  by  all,  and 
in  many  cases  the  costume  is  completed  by  a white  satin 


THE  MUSEUM . 


223 


apron  and  a scarlet  petticoat.  Among  the  men,  the  clothes- 
dealers  have  the  character  of  being  the  most  smartly  dressed, 
and  I believe  the  bakeresses  occupy  a similar  position 
among  the  townswomen.  On  feast  days  the  men  wear 
scarlet  waistcoats,  blue  jackets,  embroidered  in  silver,  very 
short  white  trousers,  a short  black  stuck-out  petticoat, 
black  gaiters,  and  a scarlet  cap. 

The  service  over,  we  walked  through  the  various 
chapels,  which  contain  several  handsome  monuments  to 
deceased  bishops.  Two  recumbent  figures  under  canopies 
specially  attracted  my  attention.  I never  saw  the  expres- 
sion and  wrinkles  of  age  more  faithfully  rendered  than  in 
the  cold  white  marble  representations  of  those  mediaeval 
prelates.  From  the  sacristy  there  is  an  extensive  view 
over  the  lower  and  surrounding  country,  and  the  sanctu- 
ary beneath  contains  some  interesting  tombs  and  delicate 
marblework. 

On  leaving  the  cathedral  we  walked  to  the  museum, 
examining  and  admiring  on  our  way  the  elephant  tower,  of 
mixed  Pisan  and  Aragonese  work*.  In  the  museum  is  an 
excellent  collection  of  natural  history  specimens,  minerals, 
and  other  things  ; but  the  most  interesting  objects  were 
the  antiquities  which  have  been  collected  in  the  island  at 
various  times.  There  are  many  Etriiscan,  Roman,  and 
Egyptian  relics,  glass  vases,  amphorae,  lamps,  jewellery, 
&c.,  such  as  one  sees  in  nearly  every  museum  of  the  kind  ; 
but  this  establishment  is  specially  fortunate  in  possessing 
an  unrivalled  collection  of  little  bronze  figures,  ornaments, 
and  arms,  relics  of  the  Phoenician  rule.  Some  of  the  best 
specimens,  which  had  been  selected  by  a savant  for  exhi- 
bition at  the  Scientific  Congress  at  Florence,  had  only 


224 


PHCENICIAN  RELICS. 


just  been  returned  from  that  place,  and  were  still  in  the 
packages  in  which  they  had  arrived  ; but  the  director  of 
the  museum  most  kindly  caused  them  to  be  brought  forth 
and  displayed  for  our  special  benefit.  They  comprised 
three  Phoenician  inscriptions,  engraved  on  narrow  strips  of 
very  thin  gold,  about  six  inches  long,  and  one  inch  broad, 
which  had  been  found  rolled  up  in  small  tubes  with  a figure 
on  the  top,  something  like  old-fashioned  seals.  They  have 
been  carefully  unrolled  and  copied,  but  I think  not  as  yet 
interpreted.  Only  one  other  inscription  of  the  same  kind 
is  known  to  exist,  and  that  was  discovered,  I believe,  some- 
where in  Malta.  Busily  engaged  as  the  director  was  in 
superintending  the  unpacking  and  cataloguing,  he  found 
time  to  be  kind  and  attentive  to  us,  showing  and  explain- 
ing to  us  himself  the  most  remarkable  articles.  Among 
them  was  a model  of  one  of  the  round  towers  noticed  on 
our  voyage  along  the  coast.  They  are  built  of  a sort  of 
black  unburnt  brick,  with  chambers  inside,  and  are  sup- 
posed to  be  of  Phoenician  origin,  and  probably  two  or  three 
thousand  years  old.  There  are  over  three  thousand  of 
these  towers,  or  mitJiags , as  they  are  called,  upon  the 
island. 

From  the  museum  we  returned  on  board,  but  found 
that,  having  been  detained  longer  than  we  had  expected, 
we  were  now  too  late  for  morning  service.  Soon  after- 
wards the  two  consuls  with  their  families  paid  us  a visit, 
and  appeared  to  be  much  interested  in  the  yacht  and  in 
our  curiosities,  no  doubt  partly  because  yachts  do  not  come 
very  frequently  to  this  port.  I wonder  that  this  should 
be  the  case,  for  there  is  a capital  natural  roadstead  here, 
protected  from  the  sea  and  most  of  the  prevailing  winds 


ORANGE  GARDENS  OF  MILIS. 


225 


by  the  sand-banks  across  the  mouth  and  by  the  mountains 
at  the  back.  It  would  form  an  agreeable  resting-place  on 
the  way  up  the  Mediterranean,  and  there  is  much  of  in- 
terest to  be  seen  in  the  island.  Everywhere  there  are  now 
excellent  roads  and  fair  inns.  A railroad,  constructed  to 
carry  the  mineral  wealth  of  the  country,  takes  the  traveller 
in  a few  hours  to  Sassari,  Iglesias,  or  Oristano.  Near  the 
latter  town  is  Milis,  a place  of  which  all  who  have  seen 
it  speak  with  such  enthusiasm,  that  I cannot  refrain  from 
quoting  the  remarks  of  the  traveller,  Delessert,  about  this 
comparatively  little  known  earthly  Paradise  : 

‘ I had  seen  orange-trees  growing  in  the  open  ground. 
I had  even  breakfasted  one  morning  under  these  trees 
laden  with  fruit  on  the  shores  of  Phoenicia,  the  most  ador- 
able spot  of  the  earth,  where  the  sea  came  murmuring  upon 
golden  sands  at  my  feet  ; but  I had  never  experienced  the 
bewilderment,  the  intoxication  which  accompanied  my  visit 
to  the  gardens  of  Milis.  Here  there  is  nothing  but  oranges 
— not,  if  you  please,  fruit  placed  at  regular  intervals  along 
the  branches,  and  encompassed  by  verdure,  but  huge 
clumps  of  thirty  or  forty  oranges  dragging  the  branch 
which  bears  them  towards  the  earth.  Do  not  imagine  a 
group  of  orange-trees  here  and  there,  the  perfume  of  which 
comes  and  goes  as  you  approach  and  leave  it  ; but  try  to 
realise  the  idea  of  a wood — a veritable  forest ! As  far  as 
the  eye  can  reach  under  this  balmy  forest  it  meets  with 
nothing  but  oranges.  Oranges  in  the  foreground,  oranges 
in  the  half-distance  ; oranges  gild  the  horizon.  . . „ We 
were  in  this  wood  precisely  at  the  time  when  the  peasantry 
of  Milis  gather  the  oranges  to  sell  them.  A gathering  is 
a very  simple  process.  A cloth  is  spread  under  the  tree. 


226 


A SARDINIAN  EDEN. 


and  a man,  having  climbed  the  branches,  precipitates  the 
golden  harvest  to  the  earth,  whence  an  inconceivable 
aroma  arises.  To  give  a simple  idea  of  the  extent  of  this 
forest,  as  large  as  the  Bois  de  Boulogne  (I  ask  pardon  for 
my  comparison  of  those  who  do  not  know  this  wood),  it 
took  us  two  hours  to  trot  round  it  at  a smart  pace  on  horse- 
back. At  the  end  of  our  journey  we  arrived  before  the  king 
of  the  orange-trees.  A man  can  hardly  clasp  the  trunk  of 
this  old  tree  in  his  arms.  The  huge  branches  stretch  boldly 
out,  like  those  of  an  oak.  It  bears  an  inscription  to  com- 
memorate a visit  from  Charles  Albert  on  March  1 8,  1829. 
But  orange-trees  do  not  entirely  monopolise  these  en- 
chanted regions.  Here  and  there  you  come  upon  glades 
where  tall  poplars  protect  their  noble  hosts  from  the 
violence  of  the  winds,  or  upon  clumps  where  the  wild  vine 
creeps  round  the  trees  to  breathe  the  perfume  of  their 
fruit ; and  the  clematis  falls  about  in  cascades,  caressing 
the  breeze  with  its  sweet  odour.  The  earth  is  sprinkled 
with  violets,  the  periwinkle,  and  the  forget-me-not.  It  is 
a fairy-land — something  fabulous,  heroic — which  is  alone 
worth  a journey  to  Sardinia,  and  well  rewards  the  trouble 
of  travelling  over  the  barren  plains  and  desolate  hills  of  the 
northern  part  of  the  island.  The  woods  of  Milis  are,  in 
their  way,  one  of  the  wonders  of  the  world  ; and  I owe  to 
this  oasis,  loved  of  the  gods,  the  grateful  remembrance  of 
the  wildest  enjoyment.  Of  the  forty-eight  hours  we  gave 
ourselves  at  Milis,  I spent  at  least  thirty  in  the  orange 
woods,  gathering  in  a store  of  sweet  perfume  for  less  happy 
times,  and  envying  Sardinia  so  great  a treasure  ! ’ 1 

Cavias,  not  far  from  Oristano,  is  celebrated  for  thp 

1 Six  Weeks  in  the  Island  of  Sardinia.  By  E.  Delessert.  Paris,  1850. 


HO  RAG  HE. 


22  7 


beauty  of  its  inhabitants,  a people  of  quite  a different  race 
from  the  islanders,  and  said  to  be  descended  from  the  ship- 
wrecked crew  of  an  English  vessel  stranded  on  these  shores 
many  years  ago.  At  Tharras,  too,  any  enterprising  anti- 
quarian can  easily  obtain  permission  to  dig  and  delve  on 
his  own  account,  on  the  chance  of  bringing  to  light  rare 
treasures  of  the  most  remote  ages.  The  climate  is  delight- 
ful, except  in  November  and  March,  when  heavy  rains  fall. 

Sardinia  possesses  many  remains  of  antiquity,  belonging 
to  the  period  when  it  was  a flourishing  Carthaginian  settle- 
ment, on  which  the  Romans  looked  with  longing  eyes. 
Some  of  its  monuments  of  the  past  belong  to  a still  earlier 
period.  The  horaghe  or  stone  towers  which  dot  the  island 
in  various  directions — there  are  upwards  of  three  thousand 
of  them  in  all — are  of  this  description.  Like  the  round 
towers  of  Ireland,  they  belong  to  a time  and  to  a race  of 
which  we  have  no  other  record,  and  are  a standing  puzzle 
to  the  archaeologist.  The  horaghe  of  Sardinia  exhibit  the 
appearance  of  a truncated  cone,  or  tower,  averaging  from 
thirty  to  sixty  feet  in  height,  and  from  one  to  three  hundred 
feet  in  circumference  at  the  base.  The  materials  of  which 
they  are  built  are  the  rocks  of  the  adjacent  locality,  and 
they  generally  crown  the  summits  of  hills  that  command 
the  neighbouring  plains. 

After  luncheon  evening  service  was  held,  with  an  excel- 
lent little  sermon  from  Tom,  and  just  about  dusk  we  went 
ashore  to  the  cemetery,  which  contains  some  beautiful 
modern  marble  monuments  by  Villa  Giacobbe  Cavalotta 
and  other  Roman  and  Italian  artists.  The  designs  are 
thoroughly  free  from  conventionality,  and  are  well  exe- 
cuted. One,  to  the  memory  of  Enrico  Serpieri,  who  was 


228 


ANCIENT  MOSAICS. 


associated  with  Garibaldi  and  Mazzini  at  the  time  of 
the  taking  of  Rome  by  the  French  in  1849,  is  a splendid 
specimen  of  bas-relief.  The  cemetery  itself  is  extensive, 
well  kept,  and  planted  with  flowers. 

In  two  of  the  public  promenades  excellent  bands  of 
music  were  playing.  Besides  these  there  are  two  other 
bands  in  the  town,  those  of  the  Are  brigade  and  of  the 
civil  service,  a fact  which  is  very  creditable  to  the  inhabi- 
tants, who  support  them.  Two  theatres  are  open  here  all 
the  year  round,  besides  an  opera-house,  at  which  perform- 
ances are  given  throughout  the  winter  months.  The 
promenade  this  evening  was  so  crowded  that  there  was 
hardly  room  to  move  about.  We  sat  down  on  one  of 
the  stone  seats,  and  observed  the  people  as  they  slowly 
strolled  about.  The  women  all  appeared  to  have  fine  eyes, 
but  as  a rule  were  not  otherwise  good-looking. 

To-day  we  let  all  our  poor  little  feathered  prisoners  fly 
on  shore,  rested  and  refreshed,  let  us  hope,  by  their  stay  on 
board  the  ‘ Sunbeam.’  Wild  as  they  were  at  first,  they  had 
become  so  tame  that  they  would  all  eat  out  of  my  hand, 
and  I half  hoped  that  some  might  have  taken  a fancy  to 
the  ship  and  have  remained  on  board  ; but  after  hopping 
about  a little,  and  then  flying  up  on  to  the  rail  and 
rigging,  and  getting  gradually  higher  and  higher,  they  all 
deserted  us  and  flew  to  some  high  trees  on  the  opposite 
shore. 

Monday , October  2\st. — Cagliari  is  built  on  the  site  of 
the  ancient  city  of  Caralis,  and  many  interesting  relics  of 
the  Greeks  and  Romans  are  frequently  discovered  here. 
Not  long  ago  were  found  the  remains  of  the  house  of 
Balbus,  for  some  time  proconsul  here,  containing  mosaics 


ROMAN  AMPHITHEATRE. 


229 


as  fine  and  as  well  preserved  as  any  at  Pompeii.  This 
morning  we  landed  early  to  go  and  see  the  amphitheatre, 
a short  distance  from  the  town.  A carriage  was  to  have 
been  ready  for  us  at  the  consul’s  house  by  8 a.m.,  but, 
about  five  drops  of  rain  having  fallen  two  hours  previously, 
the  owner  declined  to  expose  his  precious  vehicle  to  the 
fury  of  the  elements.  However,  after  much  persuasion, 


Amphitheatre 


scolding,  and  delay,  he  was  induced  to  bring  it  out.  It 
was  particularly  annoying  that  this  little  difficulty  should 
have  occurred,  as  we  had  to  return  on  board  to  breakfast 
at  9.30  a.m.,  the  yacht  in  the  meantime  getting  her  a.nchor 
Weighed  and  sails  set,  and  lying  to  in  readiness  for  an 
immediate  start  after  our  arrival. 

At  last  we  set  out,  and,  after  a steep  up-and-down 
shake-bone  little  drive,  reached  the  amphitheatre,  which  is 


230 


IMPORTS  FROM  NORWAY. 


hewn  out  of  the  solid  rock.  It  is  of  great  extent,  with 
spacious  subterranean  galleries  and  passages  leading  even 
as  far  as  the  seashore,  and  though  the  rows  of  terraced 
seats  are  much  broken,  it  is  easy  to  trace  the  plan  of  the 
whole  building  as  it  existed  in  its  perfection.  After 
wandering  about  it  for  some  time,  I sat  down  on  the 
highest  seats,  which  commanded  a fine  view  of  the  sea, 
and  pictured  to  myself  the  scene  which  it  must  have  pre- 
sented when  crowded  with  people  decked  for  a Roman 
holiday,  the  vela  spread  over  the  top  to  shelter  them  from 
the  sun,  and  the  wild  beasts  fighting  beneath. 

We  drove  back  to  the  town,  refused  the  kind  consul’s 
hospitable  offers,  and  with  many  good  wishes  started  to 
rejoin  the  yacht.  All  her  sails  were  set,  and  the  anchor 
was  just  clear  as  we  stepped  on  board,  and  Tom  was  in  a 
great  fidget  to  be  off.  Away  we  were  sailing,  when  sud- 
denly we  noticed  a boat  coming  off  from  the  shore,  the 
occupants  of  which  were  making  frantic  signals  to  us  to 
stop.  Tom  was  in  despair,  and  would  have  liked  to  go 
on  without  stopping,  so  as  to  make  a brilliant  exit  under 
sail  among  all  the  ships  in  the  bay  ; but  we  persuaded 
him  not  to  do  so.  £ Staysails  a-weather  ! ’ was  the  order, 
and  we  waited,  wondering  what  could  be  the  matter.  Pre- 
sently we  could  make  out  the  consul’s  clerk  in  the  boat, 
waving  my  small  bag,  which  had  been  left  behind  under 
the  seat  of  the  carriage.  Sail  was  filled  on  her  again,  and 
we  started  away  once  more,  past  the  ships  at  anchor  wait- 
ing for  their  cargoes  of  salt.  They  are  nearly  all  bound  for 
Sweden  and  Norway,  and  on  their  return  voyage  they 
bring  salt  fish  and  Norwegian  ice,  both  of  which  are  in 
consequence  excellent  and  abundant  here.  For  just  the 


DEPARTURE  FROM  CAGLIARI. 


231 


same  reason,  one  frequently  meets  with  first-rate  port  wine 
in  Newfoundland  and  Norway,  in  small  villages  and  out-of- 
the-way  places,  where  one  would  least  expect  to  find  it 
It  is  brought  back  from  Spain  as  a return  cargo  by  the 
ships  which  sell  salt  cod  fish  in  the  various  Roman  Catholic 
countries. 

The  ‘Vittorio  Emanuele'  started  under  steam  about 
the  same  time  as  we  did  under  sail,  and  we  were  hoping 
for  a race  with  her,  but  in  a very  short  time  the  wind  fell 
light,  and  then  died  away  to  a calm.  We  drifted  about  in 
the  bay  for  the  rest  of  the  day  and  all  night,  fortunately  on 
a smooth  sea. 


Sardinian  Clothes  Dealer. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


NAPLES,  POMPEII,  P.ESTUM,  CAPRI,  MESSINA,  AND 
CYPRUS. 

The  semicircle 

Of  dark  blue  waters,  and  the  narrow  fringe 
Of  curving  beach — its  wreaths  of  dripping  green — 

Its  pale  pink  shells. 

Tuesday , October  2 2nd. — At  6 a.m.  we  were  still  between 
Capes  Spartivento  and  Carbonara,  and  it  was  not  until  three 
hours  later  that  a slight  breeze  sprang  up  and  gradually 
increased  to  a strong  wind,  before  which  we  sped  gaily  along 
until  the  evening,  when  it  again  fell  light 

Wednesday , October  23 rd. — A day  of  calms  and  vari- 
ables, with  heavy  cross-swells  from  three  directions  at  once. 
I suppose  that  this  state  of  things  is  due  to  the  fact  that 
there  has  been  a sirocco  from  the  African  coast,  a strong 
westerly  wind  from  the  Atlantic  through  the  Straits,  and  a 
gale  in  the  Gulf  of  Lyons,  so  that  we  have  the  combined 
effects  of  all  three.  At  sunset  we  could  see  the  island  of 
Ischia  and  the  top  of  Vesuvius,  and  at  8 p.m.  made  out 
the  light  on  the  island  of  Ponza,  just  off  Gaeta. 

Thursday , October  24 t/i. — A grey  rather  rainy  morning, 
but  even  under  these  unfavourable  circumstances  the  Bay 
of  Naples,  with  its  numerous  promontories  and  islands, 
looked  as  lovely  as  ever.  There  is  nothing  really  equal  to 
it  in  the  world,  as  far  as  my  experience  goes.  There  was 
hardly  any  wind,  and  as  we  crept  slowly  up  the  bay  under 


VISITORS  FROM  THE  ‘HIMALAYA? 


233 


our  square  canvas,  there  was  ample  time  for  the  grandeur 
of  the  scene  to  sink  into  our  minds. 

About  10  a.m.  we  dropped  anchor  under  shelter  of  the 
Military  Mole,  in  a position  which,  though  convenient  in 
some  respects,  was  rather  too  near  the  shore  to  be  plea- 
sant The  ‘ Himalaya  ’ is  here,  waiting  for  the  First  Lord 
of  the  Admiralty  and  the  Secretary  for  War,  and  our 
gangway  was  not  even  down  before  a large  party  in  the 
* Himalaya’s’  gig  came  alongside,  followed  soon  afterwards 
by  another  party  of  friends.  They  did  not,  however,  stay 


Bay  of  !N  aples. 


long,  as  all  were  anxious  to  make  the  most  of  their  last 
day  in  Naples,  where  they  seem  to  have  had  a pleasant 
time  of  it  The  Italian  naval  authorities  apparently  do 
not  agree  with  Tom’s  principle  of  not  putting  ‘ too  many 
eggs  in  one  basket.’  The  ‘ Duilio  ’ and  the  ‘ Dandolo,’ 
now  building  at  Spezzia,  and  the  ‘ Italia  ’ at  Castellamare, 
will  be  three  of  the  largest  ships  ot  war  in  existence,  with 
armour-plates  and  armament  of  proportionate  magnitude. 
They  would  doubtless  be  most  formidable  antagonists  in 
any  naval  engagement ; but  it  must  be  remembered  that 


234 


SAN  MARTINO. 


a small  torpedo  might  succeed  in  inflicting  a blow  which 
would  at  once  sink  the  huge  mass,  and  thus  cause  a 
loss  of  nearly  three-quarters  of  a million  sterling,  to  say 
nothing  of  the  lives  of  the  crew,  whose  loss  would  be  far 
more  severely  felt  by  Italy  than  a like  disaster  would  be 
by  England,  the  number  of  trained  seamen  in  the  former 
being  so  very  much  smaller  in  proportion.  I agree  with 
Tom,  and  should  prefer  a great  many  fast  strong  little  ships 
to  a few  big  vessels. 

About  noon  the  weather  cleared  up,  and  we  were 
soon  surrounded  by  boats  bringing  all  sorts  of  things  for 
sale — coral,  shells,  pictures,  fruit,  flowers,  &c. — besides 
commissioners  and  washerwomen,  and  a band  of  serenades 
with  guitars,  zithers,  and  flutes.  It  was  rather  amusing  to 
have  our  own  letters  of  recommendation,  given  in  1874, 
brought  back  to  us  again  as  vouchers  for  respectability. 
The  proud  owners,  Luigi,  a cicerone,  and  Berta  Falsalta, 
a washerwoman,  took  charge  of  us  and  of  our  clothes  with 
an  air  of  rightful  possession  and  of  defiance  to  all  comers, 
Luigi’s  first  commission  being  to  go  off  to  the  consulate 
and  get  our  letters,  which  were  a real  treat  after  long 
privation. 

We  all  landed  to  lunch  at  the  Hotel  de  Russie,  which 
we  found  as  comfortable  as  ever,  and  afterwards  drove 
through  the  gay  crowded  streets  to  San  Martino,  renowned 
ever  since  the  fourteenth  century  for  the  beauty  of  its  situa- 
tion and  the  richness  of  its  convent.  Like  all  other  convents 
in  this  country,  it  has  been  broken  up  and  despoiled  of  its 
moveable  contents  since  the  union  of  Italy  ; but  the  richly 
inlaid  marble  walls,  wood  carvings,  and  frescoes  still  re- 
main to  repay  the  trouble  of  a visit,  the  pictures  by 


DOCKYARD  AT  C A STELLA  MARE. 


235 


Spagnoletto  and  Luini  being  specially  beautiful.  The 
white  marble  cloisters,  in  the  centre  of  which  the  monks 
were  buried,  are  very  fine.  The  children  were  immensely 
interested  in  the  curious  trap-doors,  through  which  the  old 
Carthusian  monks,  who  were  shut  off  from  all  other  com- 
munication with  the  outer  world,  used  to  have  their  food 
handed  to  them.  But  the  glorious  view  is  really  the  great 
feature  of  the  place. 

Friday , October  25 th. — This  morning  Tom  again  went 
on  board  the  ‘ Himalaya’  to  breakfast,  and  afterwards  went 
over  the  ‘ Italia  ’ and  the  dockyard  at  Castellamare,  where 
all  the  officials  were  most  civil  to  the  Lords  of  the  Admi- 
ralty, showing  them  everything  of  interest.  The  4 Hima- 
laya ’ proceeded  later  on  her  voyage  to  Cyprus. 

We  started  by  the  8.15  a.m.  train  for  Pompeii,  and 
breakfasted  at  the  Hotel  Diomede,  opposite  the  railway 
station.  The  ruins  of  the  buried  city  are  now  enclosed, 
and  are  under  Government  supervision.  Two  francs  a 
head  are  paid  on  passing  through  the  gates,  and  a very 
civil  soldier  is  sent  round  as  a guide  with  each  party.  No 
beggars  are  tolerated  or  tips  allowed,  which  is  a great  com- 
fort. Tom  sent  half  of  our  crew  and  the  servants  thither 
to-day  for  a treat,  and  they  seemed  to  enjoy  themselves 
thoroughly. 

The  new  excavations  now  in  progress  interested  me 
immensely.  The  Government  has  been  spending  a great 
deal  of  money  on  these  works,  employing  many  men,  and 
discovering  a large  number  of  interesting  things  ; but  the 
authorities  are  very  strict  about  admitting  strangers  to  the 
spot  where  these  excavations  are  in  progress.  Our  hope 
of  seeing  anything  of  the  work  was  consequently  slight 


236  PRESENT  EXCAVATIONS  AT  POMPEII. 


Fortunately  for  us,  however,  one  of  the  head  officials 
chanced  to  travel  down  in  the  same  train  with  us  from 
Naples,  and  he  very  kindly  gave  us  his  card  and  permis- 
sion to  visit  the  works  and  see  all  there  was  to  be  seen. 
After  we  had  inspected  all  the  old  excavations,  therefore, 
the  guides  conducted  us  to  the  r.ew  part,  where  we  found 
two  very  polite  officials  directing  the  work,  and  a number 
of  men,  with  pickaxes  and  a sort  of  large  hoe,  clearing 
away  the  ashes  and  fine  pumice-stone  from  a beautiful 
mosaic  pavement  in  the  centre  of  a large  house.  The 
small  rooms  had  been  cleared  out  the  day  before,  and  had 
contained  many  bronzes,  statuettes,  glass  articles,  &c.  So 
we  sat  down  to  watch  the  proceedings  with  the  deepest 
interest 

At  first  there  was  not  much  to  be  seen.  The  men 
picked  and  scraped  away  at  the  pumice-stone,  but  only 
uncovered  some  large  tiles,  evidently  from  the  roof,  and 
then  some  leaden  piping  and  taps.  What  a curious  thing 
it  is  that,  while  all  the  arrangements  connected  with  the 
water  supply  are  so  deficient  all  over  modern  Italy,  perfect 
pipes  and  taps  and  cisterns  were  in  use  at  Pompeii ! Pre- 
sently a large  amphora  was  uncovered,  next  some  bronze- 
coloured  glass  bottles  and  cups  of  exquisite  shape,  then  an 
entire  set  of  leaden  weights,  like  those  one  sees  every  day, 
and  a steelyard.  After  this  came  another  layer  of  ashes  ; 
but  soon  a shout  of  delight  announced  the  discovery  of  a 
unique  silver  vase,  several  bronze  vases,  and  a little  store 
of  copper  and  silver  coins.  Next  came,  mixed  with  de- 
cayed fragments  of  wood,  several  small  lachrymatories  and 
large  glass  bottles  rendered  iridescent  by  age,  a pair  of 
scissors,  and  a bunch  of  keys.  Then,  for  a time,  nothing 


INTERESTING  DISCOVERIES. 


2 37 


but  ashes,  till  the  efforts  of  the  searchers  were  again  stimu- 
lated by  the  discovery  of  a necklace  of  gold  and  agate 
beads,  unstrung  of  course,  a lovely  bronze  vase  full  of 
coins,  a rock-crystal  ornament,  and  some  tiny  little  crystal 
bottles  tied  together  with  a gold  ribbon.  But  a glass  vase, 
of  the  most  graceful  shape,  could  not  bear  being  moved, 
and  fell  to  pieces  in  the  hands  of  the  disappointed  finder, 
careful  as  he  had  been  to  remove  all  the  superincumbent 
ashes  before  attempting  to  change  its  position.  After  un- 
earthing one  or  two  large  wine  amphorae  and  other  unim- 
portant objects,  the  wall  of  the  building  was  reached,  the 
room  was  cleared,  and  the  work  of  excavation  ceased  for 
the  present.  I was  sorry  when  it  was  over,  for  it  was 
impossible  not  to  feel  the  deepest  interest  in  the  proceed- 
ings. The  men  got  quite  excited  occasionally,  and  seemed 
to  know  by  instinct,  or  rather  by  the  force  of  long  experi- 
ence, exactly  when  they  were  on  the  point  of  coming  to 
anything  good,  and  even  to  be  able  to  tell,  by  the  colour 
of  the  ashes  immediately  surrounding  it,  of  what  material 
the  object  would  be  composed.  I should  have  liked  to 
secure  some  trifle  as  a remembrance  of  the  occasion  ; 
but  this  was  impossible,  as  the  Government  strictly  pro- 
hibit the  purchase  of  any  of  the  treasure-trove. 

We  said  good-bye  to  the  officials,  and  gave  some 
money  for  wine  to  the  workmen,  with  which  they  were 
much  delighted.  I stepped  into  the  portantina , the  dogs 
barked  with  joy  that  there  was  to  be  a move  at  last,  and 
off  we  started  through  the  silent  streets  to  the  railway 
station,  to  catch  the  2 p.m.  train. 

We  reached  Vietri  at  about  4 p.m.,  and  from  the 
station  door  a glorious  prospect  lay  before  us — the  blue  sea 


238 


AMALFI  AND  SALERNO. 


of  the  Gulf  of  Salerno  on  one  side,  that  of  Amalfi  on  the 
other,  with  all  the  little  bays,  and  the  red  cliffs  clothed 
with  orange-trees  and  verdure  to  the  very  edge.  A steep 
road  brought  us  to  the  long  narrow  street  leading  to  the 
sea-shore  ; and  after  passing  beneath  the  stupendous  works 
that  here  support  the  railway  in  its  passage  across  the 
valley,  we  reached  the  town  of  Salerno  itself.  Here  we 
found  very  good  rooms,  facing  the  sea,  at  the  Hotel 
Victoria,  which  boasts  of  a lovely  garden  full  of  beautiful 
flowers,  just  in  their  prime.  We  had  proposed  to  ourselves 
to  rest  here  for  a time  ; but  Luigi  determined  otherwise, 
and  carried  us  off  to  see  the  cathedral,  built  by  Robert 
Guiscard,  in  1084,  from  the  ruins  of  Paestum  and  other 
neighbouring  temples. 

After  a long  visit  to  the  cathedral  we  drove  back  to 
the  hotel,  and,  as  we  had  the  prospect  of  an  early  start  to- 
morrow before  us,  went  early  to  bed. 

Saturday , October  2 6th. — Up  before  daylight,  and  after 
an  early  breakfast  we  bustled  off  to  catch  the  7.30  a.m. 
train  at  Salerno  station,  some  distance  from  the  town. 
All  this  haste  turned  out  to  have  been  unnecessary,  for  not 
only  did  times  differ,  but  the  tram  was  late.  Some  bandits, 
who  had  just  been  captured,  and  were  being  taken  off  to 
Naples  to  be  tried,  were  among  the  intending  passengers 
at  the  station.  They  were  fine-looking  men,  and  did  not 
appear  to  be  at  all  cast  down,  but  laughed  and  chatted 
with  their  guards  and  the  bystanders  most  unconcernedly. 
At  last  the  train  arrived,  and  we  were  soon  speeding  on 
our  way  to  Battipaglia.  Here  we  found  a carriage  waiting 
for  us,  in  which  we  drove  through  a flat  campagna-like 
country  for  miles  and  miles. 


PAL  STUM. 


239 


We  reached  Paestum  in  about  two  hours  and  a half, 
and,  on  arriving  at  the  thick  walls  of  the  ancient  city, 
were  taken  possession  of  by  a Government  official,  who 
showed  us  all  round.  The  three  celebrated  temples,  which 
we  have  come  all  this  way  to  see,  present  a splendid 
spectacle  as  one  approaches  them.  The  Temple  of  Ceres 
or  Vesta  is  a perfect  little  bijou,  but  is  far  eclipsed  in  gran- 
deur by  that  of  Neptune,  from  which  a splendid  view 
stretches  over  sea  and  land.  We  walked  across  the  plain 
to  the  Basilica. 

We  had  a hasty  lunch  on  the  steps  of  what  was  once 
the  scene  of  many  a splendid  ceremony,  and,  having 
gathered  some  flowers  and  bought  some  photographs,  drove 
back  to  Battipaglia.  The  train  was  fairly  punctual,  and  at 
about  6 p.m.  we  found  ourselves  once  more  at  Naples, 
where  Tom  met  us  at  the  Hotel  de  Russie. 

Tom  has  had  a very  pleasant  time,  during  our  absence, 
with  the  Lords  of  the  Admiralty  and  Captain  Grenfell, 
visiting  again  the  dockyard  at  Castellamare,  where  they 
saw  the  enormous  new  ship  the  Italians  are  building,  and 
many  other  interesting  things. 

Sunday , October  27th. — This  was  a showery  day,  but 
very  hot.  Tom,  Mabelle,  and  I went  ashore  to  the  Eng- 
lish church,  a convenient  building,  capable  of  holding  a 
large  number  of  persons,  and  curiously  decorated  with 
flags. 

One  or  two  friends  came  to  lunch  ; and  after  their  de- 
parture, and  a short  service  on  board,  we  again  landed, 
Tom  and  I to  go  for  a drive  along  the  Chiaja,  and  then, 
skirting  the  shore  of  the  bay,  to  Posilippo,  and  on  towards 
the  Island  of  Nisida.  How  beautiful  it  all  was  ! 


240 


ART  FOR  MARINERS. 


Vesuvius  seems  very  active  to-night,  more  so  than  at 
any  other  time  since  we  have  been  here.  Unfortunately 
the  stream  of  lava  is  flowing  down  the  other  side  of  the 
mountain,  so  that  it  cannot  be  seen  so  well  from  the  town 
as  it  otherwise  would  be. 

At  Naples  there  are  what  may  be  called  manufactories 


of  productions  of 
men  have  largely 
portraits  painted 
nal,  and  of  their 


art  by  the  yard,  of  which  our 
availed  themselves,  having  had 
of  themselves  from  the  origi- 
parents,  wives,  and  sweethearts 


/ ; n 

The  Image  of  him 


from  photographs.  These  are  very  damp,  and  are  generally 
taken  out,  dried,  and  admired  on  Sunday,  opinions  being 
very  freely  expressed.  This  morning  there  was  a special 
exhibition,  and  the  whole  fore  part  of  the  deck  looked  like 
an  art  gallery. 

Monday , October  2 St/i. — Started  soon  after  8 a.m.,  and 
drove  through  the  villages  of  Resina  and  Portici  to  the 


DESCENT  OF  THE  CRATER. 


241 


Hermitage,  part  of  the  way  up  Vesuvius.  The  road  was 
very  dreary  and  desolate  in  places,  but  wherever  the  lava 
had  become  at  all  decomposed,  vegetation  of  all  kinds  had 
sprung  up  luxuriantly.  A crowd  of  little  gamins  accom- 
panied us,  and  kept  running  off  into  the  gardens  and 
bringing  us  fresh  figs,  crab-apples,  and  grapes.  It  was 
curious  to  trace,  as  one  could  distinctly,  the  whole  course 
of  the  two  recent  overflows  of  lava,  and  distinguish  plainly 
the  roof  of  some  house  that  had  been  overwhelmed  and 
destroyed,  or  the  ruins  of  another  that  had  partially  escaped 
as  by  a miracle. 

On  arriving  at  the  Hermitage,  we  mounted  on  horse- 
back and  rode  to  the  foot  of  the  crater.  I was  carried  up 
the  cone  in  a portantina , while  the  others  were  dragged 
and  hauled  with  straps,  and  pushed  and  helped  with  sticks, 
to  the  summit.  It  was  a very  windy  day,  and  we  were 
almost  blinded  and  suffocated  with  the  fumes  of  sulphur. 
My  bearers  slipped  quickly  over  the  edge,  and  proceeded 
to  carry  me  backwards  down  the  inside  of  the  crater 
through  a dense  cloud  of  smoke,  their  feet  sliding  and  the 
ground  giving  way  beneath  them  at  every  step.  Altogether 
I spent  a tres-mauvais  quart  d'heure , and  was  by  no  means 
sorry  to  be  safely  landed  at  the  bottom,  close  to  the  edge 
of  the  new  lava  basin.  We  walked  across  the  old  bed  to 
the  spot  whence  the  new  supply  was  issuing,  and  gazed  on 
the  wonderful  scene  for  some  time  in  silence.  From  the 
top  of  the  cone  the  descent  was  very  amusing : some  ran, 
some  slid,  some  were  dragged,  and  some  tumbled  through 
the  soft  deep  ashes  ; but  we  all  found  ourselves  at  the 
bottom  in  ten  minutes. 

We  rode  back  to  the  observatory,  where  we  dismounted 


242 


THE  SEISMOMETER . 


to  see  the  collection  of  minerals  that  have  at  various  times 
been  ejected  from  the  mouth  of  the  crater,  including  many 
specimens  which  are  regarded  as  peculiar  to  far-distant 
parts  of  the  globe.  We  also  examined  the  seismometer,  an 
instrument  which,  by  a complicated  yet  simple  system  of 
electricity,  rings  a bell  in  order  to  attract  attention  to  the 
smallest  volcanic  disturbance  of  the  earth  in  the  neighbour- 
hood  of  the  mountain,  at  the  same  time  registering  the 
hour,  duration,  force,  direction,  and  other  details  of  the 
event  without  the  possibility  of  a mistake. 

We  were  on  board  the  yacht  again  at  7 p.m.,  and  very 
soon  after  dinner  were  all  glad  to  go  to  bed,  pretty  well 
tired  out  by  our  long  day. 

Tuesday , October  29 th. — A pouring  wet  day.  It  is  lucky 
that  our  expedition  was  made  yesterday,  and  that  we  had 
arranged  to  spend  this  morning  at  the  museum,  where  we 
enjoyed  a rich  treat  in  seeing  all  the  beautiful  sculptures 
and  other  works  of  art  once  again.  In  the  afternoon  we 
waded  through  the  streets  and  looked  at  the  shops,  which 
were  unusually  bare  of  the  pretty  things  generally  to  be 
seen  in  them.  After  dining  on  board  the  yacht,  we  went  to 
a reception  at  the  English  consul’s,  where  we  met  some 
very  agreeable  and  interesting  people.  It  was  a lovely 
night  when  we  returned  to  the  yacht,  and  the  mountain 
looked  like  a real  pillar  of  flame. 

Wednesday , October  30 th. — After  the  rain  and  wind  of 
yesterday,  the  weather  looked  quite  promising  when  I went 
on  deck  this  morning.  Preparations  were  therefore  promptly 
made,  and  at  8. 1 5 a.m.  we  started  in  the  cutter  to  catch 
the  little  Capri  steamer  at  Santa  Lucia.  It  was  rather  rough 
going  round  the  mole,  and  the  steamer  rolled  ominously  at 


A ROUGH  TRIP . 


43 


her  moorings  as  we  went  on  board.  As  soon  as  we  got 
outside,  our  misgivings  were  justified,  for  we  began  to  roll 
and  pitch  in  a horrible  manner,  and  the  deck  soon  presented 
a most  deplorable  scene.  I never  saw  people  so  ill  and  so 
frightened  at  sea  before.  The  poor  things  shrieked,  howled, 
and  went  into  hysterics.  At  lovely  Sorrento,  where  we 
stopped  in  the  course  of  about  two  hours,  all  the  passengers 
but  ourselves  deserted  the  steamer,  preferring  to  sacrifice 


certainty  of  undergoing  further  misery.  From  Sorrento  to 
Capri  the  state  of  things  was  even  worse.  We  shaved  the 
shore  so  closely,  and  went  so  near  to  some  pointed-looking 
rocks  and  islands,  that,  had  anything  gone  wrong  with  the 
engine,  we  must  have  drifted  on  to  the  lee  shore  and  been 
dashed  to  pieces  in  a few  minutes.  I began  to  be  afraid  we 
should  not  be  able  to  land  ; but  the  captain  ran  the  steamer 
in  quite  close  to  the  shore,  just  off  the  Marina,  and  we  were 
bundled  into  a boat  which  was  rowed  as  near  as  possible 


244 


CAPRI. 


to  the  mole.  A rope  was  then  thrown  to  us,  and  we  were 
hauled  in  with  considerable  difficulty  and  some  danger. 

After  lunch,  Mabelle  and  I rode  on  donkeys  up  through 
the  vineyards  and  orange  gardens  to  the  village  or  town  of 
Capri,  the  capital  of  the  island.  Thence  we  climbed  upwards 
and  along  a neck  of  land,  commanding  views  on  every  side, 
to  the  Salto  di  Tiberio,  a perpendicular  precipice  700  feet 
above  the  sea.  Not  far  from  this  spot  are  the  ruins  of  the 
Pharos,  and  of  the  Villa  jovis  built  by 
the  Emperor  Tiberius.  From  the  rock 
itself  the  prospect  that  lay  before  and 
around  us  was  wide  and  grand,  extend- 
ing over  a large  portion  of  the  island, 
the  wide  expanse  of  the  Gulf  of  Sor- 
rento, and  the  distant  ruins  of  Paestum, 
Amalfi,  Sorrento,  Mount  Vesuvius, 
Monte  Somma,  Naples,  Baiae,  Nisida, 
Ischia,  and  Procida. 

A nice  old  Italian  woman,  who  kept 
a sort  ot  restaurant  near  the  Salto,  sup- 
plied us  with  some  delicious  Catawba 
grapes,  which  she  called  ‘ fragola  ’ on 
account  of  their  strawberry-like  flavour. 

After  dinner  this  evening  some  peasants  were  sent  for 
and  asked  to  dance  a tarantella,  which  they  did  with  the 
greatest  animation,  the  girls  going  through  all  the  intricate 
figures  in  the  most  coquettish  manner,  to  the  sound  of  two 
tambourines.  The  dancers  got  quite  excited,  but  were 
always  graceful,  though  sometimes  a little  too  vigorous. 
Five  couples  took  part  in  the  dance,  relieving  each  other 
as,  one  by  one,  they  fell  out,  utterly  exhausted. 


Woman  of  Capri. 


VESUVIUS  BY  NIGHT . 


245 


Vesuvius  was  magnificent  to-night,  a stream  of  burning 
lava  flowing  down  its  side,  and  a cloud  of  fire  hovering 
above  its  head.  I had  my  bed  drawn  close  to  the  win- 
dow, so  that  I could  watch  the  mountain  till  I fell  asleep  : 
what  wonder  that  I dreamt  of  the  burning  lake  at  Kilauea, 
Etna,  Stromboli,  Cotopaxi,  and  all  the  volcanoes  I had 
ever  seen  or  heard  of  ? 

Thursday , October  31^. — I closed  my  eyes,  as  I have 
said,  on  the  volcano  last  night.  I opened  them  this 
morning  to  see  the  ‘Sunbeam’s'  white  sails  just  gliding 
out  of  the  harbour  of  Naples.  Before  we  had  done  break- 
fast she  had  got  across,  and  Tom  had  landed,  without  the 
children,  however.  It  was  still  blowing  hard,  and  from 
what  he  heard  yesterday  of  the  difficulty  of  landing,  he 
had  been  afraid  to  attempt  it  with  them ; but  finding 
how  much  matters  had  improved,  he  now  sent  the  boat 
back  for  them. 

In  the  meantime  we  all  went  up  to  Capri,  and  drove 
thence  nearly  to  Anacapri,  along  a splendid  new  road, 
excavated  in  the  face  of  the  rock,  in  making  which  they 
have,  I am  sorry  to  say,  cut  through  and  partially  destroyed 
the  picturesque  flight  of  steps  that  used  to  form  the  only 
means  of  communication  between  the  lower  and  the  upper 
parts  of  the  island.  After  leaving  the  carriage  I rode  a 
donkey,  and  the  rest  walked,  towards  the  top  of  Mount 
Solaro,  where  we  enjoyed  more  beautiful  views.  We  then 
descended  to  Anacapri,  a small  village  with  a large  church, 
where  a great  religious  ceremony  was  going  on  in  con- 
sequence of  its  being  All  Saints  Eve.  We  drove  back  to 
Capri,  stopping  occasionally  on  the  way  to  gather  myrtle 
and  arbutus,  narcissus,  and  other  flowers,  and,  on  our  arrival 


246 


BLACK  CORAL . 


at  the  inn,  found  that  the  children,  with  some  of  the  crew 
and  servants,  had  just  come  ashore,  in  high  spirits,  and 
were  on  the  point  of  starting  off  for  a donkey  ride. 

After  luncheon  we  bargained  with  some  of  the  donkey 

girls  for  black  coral, 
which  seems  quite  a 
speciality  of  the  place, 
opercula,  shells,  and 
flowers,  and  finally,  at 
about  4 p.m.,  we  all 
started  in  the  large 
cutter,  with  reefed  sails 
— for  it  was  blowing 
pretty  fresh  again — to 
rejoin  the  yacht.  The 
sea  was  rough,  and  we 
were  obliged  to  go 
right  round  the  point 
of  the  island  ere  we 
could  get  alongside, 
and  had  some  diffi- 
culty in  scrambling  on 
board.  Luckily  the 
wind  was  fair,  and  we 
were  soon  bowling 
along  before  it,  and  fast 
losing  sight  of  Capri. 
Friday , November  1 st. — A fair  wind  in  the  morning, 
and  a rough,  sea.  In  the  afternoon,  calm,  with  light  airs, 
making-  us  raise  and  lower  our  funnel  more  than  once.  All 

o 

day  long  there  was  a cloud  over  Stromboli,  and  at  night 


Steps  at  Anacapri  (Barclay.) 


SCYLLA  AND  CHARY BD IS. 


247 


the  flames  shone  out  bright  and  strong  against  the  dark 
sky. 

Saturday , November  2nd. — At  3 a.m.  we  got  up  steam, 
and  at  daylight  we  were  near  the  mouth  of  the  beautiful 
Straits  of  Messina.  About  8 a.m.  we  were  off  the  Faro, 
and  two  hours  later  had  passed  Scylla  and  Charybdis,  and 
dropped  anchor  in  the  harbour  of  Messina. 

We  had  no  sooner  anchored  than  boats,  as  usual, 
flocked  round  us,  containing  all  sorts  of  commodities ; but 
the  most  welcome  was  the  consul’s  boat,  bringing  a quantity 
of  letters  and  newspapers,  and  a box  from  England.  One 
must  travel  a good  deal,  and  be  short  of  news  for  a con- 
siderable period,  before  one  can  properly  appreciate  the 
luxury  of  receiving  letters  from  home.  After  glancing  at 
their  contents,  we  hurried  ashore  to  see  the  consul,  visit 
the  post-office,  and  give  the  children  a donkey  ride.  We 
waited  the  distribution  of  the  mail  brought  by  the 
English  boat  at  2.30  p.m.,  but  received  only  two  news- 
papers, and  then  proceeded  to  get  under  way.  The  wind 
was  fair,  but  the  glass  was  falling.  All  down  the  Straits 
it  was  pleasant  sailing,  but  outside  Cape  Spartivento 
it  soon  became  far  too  rough  to  be  agreeable.  In  fact, 
Tom  had  serious  thoughts  of  turning  back,  as  the  baro- 
meter continued  to  fall  rapidly  ; but,  after  a consultation 
on  all  the  pros  and  cons , he  ended  by  deciding  to  take  advan- 
tage of  the  favourable  wind,  and  a terrible  night  we  had 
of  it.  I do  not  think  anybody  slept  much  on  board,  for 
it  was  blowing  a hard  gale. 

Sunday,  November  3rd. — Not  quite  so  rough  this  morn- 
ing ; but  I was  too  ill  to  get  up.  There  were  prayers  at 
1 1.30  a.m.,  and  again  at  4 p.m.  At  midday  we  had  come 


248 


SUDA  BAY . 


167  miles  since  4 p.m.  yesterday  afternoon.  Everybody 
turned  in  early,  and  we  had  another  bad  night. 

Monday , November  4.1/1. — Wind  still  strong  and  fair. 
At  noon  to-day  we  had  gone  234  miles  during  the  previous 
twenty-four  hours,  and  were  off  the  south-west  coast  of 
Cerigotto  and  could  see  Crete  ahead.  We  made  Khania 
light  before  dinner,  and  saw  Suda  Bay  light  afterwards. 
There  had  been  some  talk  of  stopping  at  the  latter  place, 


Cape  Spada. 

but,  the  wind  continuing  fresh  and  fair,  Tom  determined 
to  take  advantage  of  it,  and  push  straight  on  to  Cyprus.  I 
could  not  help  regretting  the  necessity  for  this  decision,  as 
I should  have  much  liked  to  visit  the  spot  where  our  fleet 
so  often  lies,  and  to  have  seen  a little  of  the  island  itself. 
On  our  way  home  in  our  voyage  round  the  world,  we 
had  passed  close  along  the  south  side  of  Crete,  and  had 
then  an  opportunity  of  admiring  the  beauty  of  its  coast 
from  the  sea.  Now  we  are  going  along  the  north  coast,  but 


GUY  FAWKES. 


249 


unfortunately  at  night,  when  it  is  impossible  to  see  any- 
thing of  the  shore. 

Tuesday , November  5 th . — A most  perfect  sailing  day  ; 
strong  wind  and  smooth  sea  ; going  through  the  water  at 
the  rate  of  10^  or  1 1 knots,  without  any  motion  at  all.  In 
the  morning  we  passed  the  barren-looking  island  of  Naxos. 

This  being  the  5th  of  November,  everybody  in  the 
nursery  was  busy  constructing  a guy,  which  was  dressed  in 
Tab’s  clothes.  At  dusk  this  was  marched  all  round  the 
deck,  accompanied  by  a band  of  music  and  a procession, 
till  by  a judicious  manoeuvre  he  disappeared  into  the  deck- 
house on  one  side,  while  the  children’s  attention  was  en- 
gaged on  the  other.  A tar  barrel,  fastened  to  a raft,  was 
then  set  alight  and  slipped  overboard,  so  that  when  the 
children  looked  for  their  guy  he  was  apparently  seen 
sailing  away  in  a blaze  of  fire,  a surprise  productive  of 
great  excitement. 

Wednesday , November  6tk. — Light  winds  all  day  ; to- 
wards the  afternoon  we  were  obliged  to  get  up  steam,  in 
order  to  ensure  our  reaching  Cyprus  at  daybreak  to- 
morrow. It  was  a lovely  night,  and  our  usual  game  of 
whist  was  played  on  deck  by  the  light  of  the  moon. 


Barring  from  Curiam 


Port  Papho. 


CHAPTER  V. 

ISLAND  OF  CYPRUS. — PORT  PAPHO,  LIMASOL,  LARNAKA. 

Nequicquam  Veneris  prcesidio  ferox . 


Thursday , November  7///. — At  6 a.m.  I came  on  deck,  to 
find  that  we  had  already  made  Cape  Arnauti,  the  western 
point  of  the  island,  two  hours  previously,  and  were  rapidly 
approaching  Cape  Drepano,  Port  Papho,  the  small  town  of 
Ktima  above,  the  ruins  of  ancient  Paphos,  where  may  still 
be  traced  the  remains  of  the  temple  dedicated  to  the  wor- 
ship of  the  Paphian  Venus.  The  coast  is  high,  rocky,  and 
at  present  very  brown  and  bare-looking,  though  after  the 
winter  rains  it  will  probably  become  green  and  bright. 
Both  sky  and  sea  were  of  the  most  lovely  blue,  as  we  crept 
along  the  shore  before  a light  breeze,  scarcely  sufficient  to 
ripple  the  water  or  to  fill  the  sails  of  our  own  vessel  and 
those  of  two  or  three  small  coasting  schooners  in  our 
vicinity.  Not  far  off  was  a large  five-masted  man-of-war. 


25l 


THE  1 MINOTAUR: 

which  proved  to  be  the  ‘ Minotaur,’  Lord  John  Hay’s  flag- 
ship, lying  to  in  order  to  send  some  boats  on  shore.  We 
exchanged  names  with  her,  and  the  admiral  then  hoisted 
the  signal,  ‘ Will  you  come  on  board  to  breakfast  ? ’ to 
which  Tom  replied  in  the  same  manner,  ‘ Very  happy,’ 
and  in  due  time  proceeded  to  avail  himself  of  the  invi- 
tation. 

After  our  own  breakfast  we  all  paid  a visit  to  the 
mighty  monster,  though  it  was  not  without  difficulty  that 
we  got  on  board,  as  she  was  then  under  way.  There  was, 
of  course,  no  accommodation-ladder  down,  and  they  wanted 
to  lower  a chair  for  me  from  the  yard-arm  ; but  I preferred 
mounting  by  the  ordinary  steps  against  the  ship’s  side — 
not  a very  wonderful  feat  after  all,  as  there  were  ropes  to 
hold  on  to,  and  the  ship  was  comparatively  steady.  She 
is  certainly  a magnificent  vessel,  with  a charming  stern 
gallery,  first-rate  officers’  quarters,  and  two  splendid  decks, 
well  furnished  with  guns  of  various  sizes,  all,  it  need  hardly 
be  said,  in  perfect  order  and  as  bright  and  clean  as  possible. 
She  does  not,  however,  show  to  advantage  just  at  present, 
as  the  upper  deck  is  encumbered  with  large  boats  inboard 
and  some  Indian  ponies  which  are  being  sent  back,  while 
the  main  deck  is  curtained  off  into  berths  for  the  invalid 
officers  returning  from  Cyprus.  Yesterday  all  the  big  guns 
on  board  were  fired  for  practice,  and  we  were  told  that  the 
vibration  stove  in  the  bulkheads  in  the  admiral’s  cabin. 
What  a treat  for  the  poor  invalids,  who  lie  with  their  heads 
right  against  them  ! Two  officers,  one  a Japanese,  the 
other  Chinese,  learning  their  profession  in  our  service,  are 
very  ill  on  board.  The  latter,  who  they  fear  is  dying,  is 
in  great  agony  of  mind  because,  though  he  is  very  well  off, 


2 52 


THE  CHINESE  MIDDY. 


no  one  can  promise  to  send  his  body  home  to  rest  in  the 
sacred  burying-place  in  the  White  Cloud  Mountains  near 
Canton.  He,  poor  man,  imagines  he  will  in  consequence 
be  doomed  to  eternal  torments.  It  is  very  sad  for  him, 
and  he  is  killing  himself  with  apprehension  ; but  it  is  a 
contingency  which  he  ought  to  have  contemplated  before 
taking  service  in  the  navy  of  a far-off  country.  Some 
people  think  that  this  is  one  of  those  cases  where  a 

departure  from  the  truth 
would  be  pardonable.  It 
would  ease  his  dying  mo- 
ments, or  possibly  so 
relieve  his  mind  as  to 
him  a chance  of 


Mounting  the  ' Minotaur. 


recovery.  Whether  the  end  would  justify  the  means  is  a 
point  which  I must  leave  my  readers  to  decide. 

Everyone  on  board  the  ‘ Minotaur  5 gives  a bad  account 
of  the  climate  of  Cyprus,  and  seems  thoroughly  glad  to 
get  away  from  it.  The  crew  have  always  drunk  distilled 
water  during  their  stay,  and  though  they  have  been  much 


TEMPLE  Of  VENUS . 


253 


on  shore  they  have  enjoyed  a comparative  immunity  from 
fever.  Mr.  Hepworth  Dixon,  who  is  on  his  way  to  Malta, 
after  spending  over  three  months  in  Cyprus,  was  among 
those  on  board  the  flagship.  I was  pleased  to  have  the 
opportunity  of  meeting  a man  whose  works  I have  enjoyed 
so  much.  We  had  an  interesting  conversation,  in  the  course 
of  which  he  gave  us  a great  deal  of  valuable  information 
about  the  island,  and  the  things  best  worth  seeing  in  it.  He 
specially  recommended  us  to  beware  of  the  horses,  which 
are  often  extremely  skittish — a fact  of  which  he  himself 
had  had  painful  experience,  having  broken  his  collar-bone 
by  a fall  from  one  of  them. 

Getting  down  again  into  our  boat  was  not  quite  so  easy 
as  getting  up  had  been,  for  the  ‘ Minotaur’s  ’ sides  are  high 
and  steep  ; but  the  sailors  carried  the  children,  and  we  all 
safely  accomplished  the  descent.  After  the  admiral  had 
returned  our  call,  he  steamed  away  towards  Malta,  while 
we  approached  still  closer  to  the  shore,  and  at  last  anchored 
just  outside  the  ruined  fort  and  harbour  of  Paphos,  which 
looked  very  pretty  from  the  yacht.  Over  the  square  tower 
of  the  little  fort  the  flag  of  old  England  drooped  languidly 
in  the  breezeless  air.  Along  the  shore  grew  the  trees  of 
what  were  once  the  gardens  of  the  Temple  of  Venus,1 
beyond  which  was  a barren  spot,  covered  by  the  ruins  of 
the  temple  itself,  with  more  groves  of  trees  close  at  hand. 
On  the  hills  at  the  back  is  perched  the  little  village  of  Ktima, 
with  its  mosque  and  minaret,  above  which  stood  the  white 
tents  and  brown  huts  of  the  71st  Regiment ; while  the  back- 
ground of  the  whole  scene  was  formed  by  the  more  distant 


See  Note  A,  Appendix. 


254 


KTIMA. 


mountains,  part  of  the  chain  to  which  Mount  Olympus 
belongs. 

We  sent  the  steward  ashore  to  try  and  get  some  fresh 
provisions,  and  to  secure  some  mules  or  donkeys  for  us  to 
ride  ; and  in  the  afternoon,  as  soon  as  it  had  become  a 
little  cooler,  we  also  landed,  provided  with  our  saddles  and 
bridles,  and  found  some  bare-backed  steeds  waiting  for  us, 
with  their  Arab  owners,  at  the  landing-place.  It  took  some 
time  to  mount  so  large  a party,  and  to  find  suitable  animals 
for  the  children,  who  were  thoroughly  happy  at  the  prospect 
of  a donkey  ride.  Very  little  of  the  ruins  of  Ktima  now 
remains  above  ground.  A few  broken  marble  columns, 
sarcophagi,  and  slabs  with  inscriptions  on  them,  some 
standing,  some  lying  down,  were  all  we  saw,  though  even 
the  fields  and  roads  were  strewn  with  fragments  of  white 
marble  capitals  and  acanthus-leaf  ornaments.  Venus’s 
bath  still  remains,  with  a stream  of  pure  water  flowing  into 
it  ; and  the  column  to  which  St.  Paul  was  tied,  that  he 
might  be  scourged  for  preaching  the  Gospel  in  the  island, 
was  also  pointed  out  to  us. 

It  was  quite  a steep  climb  up  the  rocks  to  Ktima,  a 
little  Turkish  village,  surrounded  by  gardens  full  of  fruit. 
Wherever  there  was  the  least  sign  of  moisture,  the  ground 
seemed  to  produce  in  abundance.  We  went  to  the  prison 
and  the  court  of  justice,  and  then  rode  through  the  bazaar, 
most  of  the  shops  in  which  were  already  closed,  it  being 
nearly  the  hour  of  sunset.  A very  short  distance  beyond 
the  town  is  the  camp  of  the  71st.  Some  of  the  huts  were 
finished  yesterday,  and  were  already  occupied.  Hitherto 
the  men  have  been  crowded  together  in  tents,  without  beds, 
sleeping  on  the  bare  ground,  with  one  blanket  under  and 


OUT-CAMP  OF  THE  71st. 


255 


another  over  them.  No  wonder,  therefore,  that  out  of  105 
officers  and  men,  27  are  still  down  with  fever,  while  many 
of  those  who  are  convalescent  show  terrible  traces  of  the 
disease,  being  hardly  able  to  crawl  about,  and  looking  more 
like  ghosts  than  men.  The  camp  contained  an  imposing- 
looking  surgery,  but  unfortunately  no  supply  of  proper  fever 
medicine,  and  the  poor  doctor  was  consequently  in  despair. 
The  site  of  the  camp  looks  healthy,  and  the  view  from  it, 
especially  at  sunset,  when  we  saw  it,  is  lovely. 

From  the  camp  we  went  to  have  tea  with  some  friends 
in  a Turkish  house,  which  they  have  already  made  to  look 
quite  pretty  and  homelike  by  means  of  a few  flowers  and 
knick-knacks. 

We  rode  back  to  the  shore  by  moonlight,  and,  while 
waiting  for  the  boat,  had  a long  chat  with  ‘ Peter,’  an  Italian- 
speaking Greek,  who  keeps  the  canteen  here,  and  is  most 
useful  to  the  troops.  It  seems  that,  as  might  have  been 
expected,  prices  have  gone  up  since  the  arrival  of  the 
English,  but  that  living  is  still  cheap.  Fowls  may  be 
obtained  for  one  shilling  each,  turkeys — and  very  fine 
ones  too — for  three  shillings,  a sheep  for  ten  shillings,  eggs 
at  from  fourpence  to  sixpence  a dozen,  and  other  things  in 
proportion. 

In  the  mountains,  near  at  hand,  are  found  the  celebrated 
Paphian  diamonds,  which  are  really  only  a superior  kind 
of  rock-crystal,  and  also  that  curious  incombustible  mineral, 
asbestos. 

Some  of  the  officers  of  the  71st  came  on  board  to 
dinner.  We  had  a cheery  evening  and  plenty  of  talk  about 
Cyprus,  and  we  were  all  very  sorry  when  it  was  time  to 
separate  and  say  good-bye. 


256 


EPISKOPI. 


Friday , November  Zth. — Fires  were  lighted  at  4.30  a.m., 
and  we  were  under  way  by  7 a.m.,  steaming  close  along 
the  coast,  which  looked  very  much  like  that  of  the  other 
islands  hereabouts  at  this  time  of  the  year — mountainous, 
rocky,  and  bare,  with  occasional  groves  and  trees,  and 
patches  of  verdure  wherever  there  is  a little  water.  Cape 
Blanco  stands  up  boldly  from  the  sea,  and  the  chalky 
precipices  on  either  side  remind  one  of  the  white  cliffs  of 
old  England.  Close  by  is  the  modern  town  of  Episkopi. 
Here  it  was  that  General  Cesnola  found  his  great  treasure 
— three  rooms,  under  the  ruins  of  the  ancient  temple,  quite 
full  of  gold  and  silver  vases  and  other 
ornaments,  necklaces,  brooches,  ear- 
rings, and  all  sorts  of  valuable  things. 
The  theory  of  their  presence  in  this 
particular  spot  is  that  the  inhabitants 
of  the  city,  being  threatened  by  in- 
vasion, hid  their  valuables  in  the 
temple,  or  rather  beneath  it,  after 

Earring  from  Curium. 

which  they  were  all  either  extermi- 
nated or  else  carried  off  into  slavery,  thus  leaving  no  clue 
to  the  secret  of  their  treasure-house. 

We  next  passed  Cape  Zeogari  and  Cape  de  Gatto,  the 
latter  of  which  derives  its  name  from  a breed  of  wild  cats 
which  abound  among  the  bushes,  and  which  are  said  to  be 
the  descendants  of  some  formerly  imported  by  the  monks 
inhabiting  the  Monastery  of  St.  Nikola,  which  stands  on 
the  top  of  the  hill,  to  kill  the  asps  that  then  infested  the 
island.  These  two  capes  form  the  southern  extremities  of 
a long  low-lying  promontory,  enclosing  a large  salt  lake, 
which,  some  say,  would  form  an  excellent  well-sheltered 


CYPRIOTE  VINE Y A RDS. 


257 


harbour,  if  it  were  connected  with  the  sea  by  means  of  a 
short  canal.  It  is  close  to  Limasol,  which  is  in  some  re- 
spects the  most  important  port  of  the  island,  as,  although 
the  steamers  do  not  touch  there,  all  the  native  wine  is 
exported  thence,  principally  to  Egypt,  in  sailing  ships.  In 
the  neighbourhood  the  best  wine  of  Cyprus  is  produced, 
on  what  was  formerly  the  Commanderia,  or  estate  of  the 
Knights  of  St.  John.  This  is  the  most  fertile  district  of 
Cyprus,  and  here  one  may  ride  for  miles  among  highly 
productive  but  almost  uncultivated  vines,  where  sheep  and 
goats  stray  at  their  will,  browsing  on  the  leaves,  or  tram- 
pling in  the  dust  the  grapes  gathered  by  the  peasants,  which 
lie  waiting  removal.  As  soon  as  the  owners  find  time  or 
inclination  to  perform  the  operation,  the  grapes  are  crushed 
and  placed,  to  stand  and  ferment,  in  large  jars,  well  pitched 
inside,  any  one  of  which  would  certainly  hold  Ali  Baba  or 
any  of  his  forty  thieves.  After  this  process  has  been  gone 
through  three  times,  the  wine  is  fit  for  sale,  at  the  price  of 
about  a penny  for  a measure  equal  to  three  quart  bottles, 
at  the  vineyard.  To  my  mind,  however,  and  to  that  of  most 
of  our  party,  it  is  extremely  nasty,  being  very  strong  and 
sweet,  with  a marked  flavour  of  tar.  It  is  said  to  be  very 
wholesome  ; but  as  it  takes  a hundred  years  to  develope 
its  good  qualities,,  it  must  by  that  time  have  increased  con- 
siderably in  value.  The  grape  is  the  same  as  that  grown 
in  Madeira,  and  when  the  vines  failed  in  that  place  some 
years  ago,  the  Greek  priests  sent  a fresh  supply  from  this 
island. 

Limasol,  where  we  arrived  at  about  10  a.m.,  is  a long 
low  white  town,  stretching  along  the  sea-shore,  with  domes 
and  minarets  interspersed  among  the  houses  and  palm- 


258 


RECEPTION  BY  THE  MAYOR. 


trees.  Never  was  anything  so  blue  as  were  the  sky  and 
sea  this  morning  ; but  if  the  colouring  was  beautiful,  the 
heat  was  disagreeably  intense.  The  very  small  landing- 
stage  was  decorated  with  vines  and  olive  branches,  the 
remains  of  a triumphal  arch  prepared  two  or  three  days 
ago  on  the  occasion  of  the  visit  of  the  Governor  and  the 
Lords  of  the  Admiralty.  The  mayor  and  the  whole  of 
the  population  came  down  to  see  us  land,  thinking  probably 
that  we  were  another  party  of  distinguished  English  visitors, 
to  whom  more  addresses  ought  to  be  presented.  When 
they  found  we  only  wanted  some  mules  for  ourselves  and 
the  children  to  ride,  their  interest  abated,  though  the  mayor 
and  a select  body  of  followers  accompanied  us  all  round 
the  town  to  the  khan,  the  place  where  the  market  is  to  be, 
and  to  the  old  semi-Venetian,  semi-Turkish  fort,  from 
which  there  is  a fine  view  over  the  surrounding  country. 

While  we  were  wandering  about,  a letter  was  brought 
to  us  from  the  Commissioner,  Colonel  Warren,  with  whom 
we  had  travelled  some  years  ago  in  Russia,  asking  us  to 
lunch  with  him.  He  soon  found  us  out  himself,  and  said 
that  he  had  just  returned  from  a three  days’  expedition 
into  the  mountains,  that  he  had  been  much  delighted  with 
all  he  saw,  and  was  amazed  at  the  fertility  of  the  land 
and  the  enormous  acreage  of  the  vineyards.  We  went 
with  him  to  the  Government  House— which  is  also  the 
post-office  and  court-house — where  we  found  that  the 
Assistant  Commissioner  was  very  ill  with  typhoid  fever. 
The  doctor,  who  had  been  sent  for  from  Larnaka,  was  in 
despair,  as  he  had  arrived  to  find  his  patient  almost  dying, 
and  he  had  no  medicines  to  treat  him  with.  Fortunately 
we  were  able  to  supply  him  with  what  he  wanted,  and  also 


LIMASOL. 


259 


with  port  wine,  beef-tea,  turtle,  and  other  medical  comforts, 
of  all  of  which  he  was  absolutely  destitute. 

When  it  was  time  to  embark  the  mayor  saw  us  off,  and 
gave  me  two  or  three  specimens  of  old  glass,  of  which 
great  quantities  are  found  in  the  tombs  near  here.  Dig- 
ging for  antiquities  is  now  forbidden,  and  I believe  the 
Government  intend  to  take  the  matter  into  their  own 
hands. 

Limasol  is  now  a fairly  clean  town,  without  any  pre- 
tension to  a harbour.  There  are  no  troops  here  ; but  the 
fever  seems  to  be  very  bad  among  both  European  and 
native  residents.  Colonel  Warren  has  been  here  some 
time,  and  takes  great  interest  in  his  work,  which  is  of  the 
most  arduous  and  varied  description,  as  his  jurisdiction 
extends  over  several  hundred  square  miles  of  country. 

We  had  rather  an  amusing  barter  with  the  colonel, 
exchanging  new  newspapers  for  old  pots  and  earthenware 
vases,  some  of  beautiful  shape,  from  the  tombs  ; and  after  a 
few  little  delays  we  finally  got  under  way  again  and  pro- 
ceeded on  our  voyage  along  the  coast  Soon  after  leaving 
Limasol  we  passed  the  site  of  the  ancient  city  of  Amathus, 
and,  later  on,  Carubio  Point  and  Cape  Kiti,  where  stood 
once  the  city  of  Citium,  though  some  authors  contend  it 
was  nearer  the  present  town  of  Larnaka. 

For  dinner  this  evening  we  had  some  of  the  becca- 
ficos,  or  preserved  birds,  which  are  so  well  known  in  these 
parts.  Delicious  fat  little  morsels  they  would  be  ; but  to 
my  mind  they  are  completely  spoilt  by  being  dipped,  as 
soon  as  they  are  killed,  feathers  and  all,  into  the  strong 
vinegar  made  from  the  wine  of  the  country,  the  taste  of 
which  spoils  their  own  delicate  flavour,  though  they  are 


26g 


BECCAFICOS  IN  WINE. 


considered  a great  delicacy  by  most  people.  They  are 
preserved  in  bottles  for  months,  and  thus  sent  away  to  other 
countries.  Even  in  the  classical  ages  they  were  famed,  and 
at  the  time  of  the  Crusades  they  were  specially  prized,  no 
doubt  owing  to  their  having  been  preserved  to  greater  per- 
fection in  the  Commanderia  wine  made  by  the  Knights  of 
St.  John. 

About  9 p.m.  we  were  off  the  port  of  Larnaka,  steaming 
close  by  H.M.S.  ‘ Raleigh  ’ and  ‘ Humber,’  and  several  other 
steamers  and  sailing  ships.  We  dropped  anchor  at  io  p.m. 
An  officer  from  the  ‘ Raleigh  ’ soon  boarded  us,  but  had  not 
much  news  to  impart,  except  that  war  with  Afghanistan 
was  really  declared,  and  that  the  42nd  Regiment  was 
ordered  away  immediately  for  India. 

Saturday , November  gth. — All  the  ships  in  port  were 
dressed  to-day  in  honour  of  the  Prince  of  Wales’s  birth- 
day. The  harbour-master  came  on  board  ?t  6 p.m.  to  give 
us  pratique , and  soon  afterwards  Lord  Lilford’s  agent,  to 
whom  he  had  given  instructions,  came  to  see  what  he  could 
do  for  us.  He  gave  a very  bad  account  of  the  health  of 
the  place,  which,  considering  the  hot  and  steamy  state  of 
the  atmosphere  at  the  time,  seemed  by  no  means  surprising. 

A little  later  on  a telegram  arrived  from  Sir  Garnet 
Wolseley,  asking  us  to  go  up  to  the  Monastery  Camp  near 
Nikosia,  to  stay  with  him,  which  we  arranged  to  do  as 
soon  as  mules  and  a conveyance  could  be  procured.  There 
was  some  talk  of  a diligence,  but  it  ultimately  proved  to  be 
a small  tea-cart  drawn  by  a horse  and  a mule.  Horses  for 
us  to  ride  were  also  provided,  as  well  as  mules  to  carry  the 
luggage. 

While  waiting  to  start,  we  had  an  opportunity  of  seeing 


LARNAKA, 


261 


something  of  the  town  of  Larnaka.  I believe  it  has 
already  considerably  improved  in  appearance  since  the 
arrival  of  the  English  ; but  it  is  still  a miserable-looking 
place,  with  half-a-dozen  wretched  little  jetties  and  broken- 
down  quays,  in  course  of  repair  with  stones  from  ancient 
Salamis,  on  the  sea-shore.  The  sea  itself  washes  almost 
up  to  the  house-doors,  and  in  many  places  it  is  necessary  to 
make  a detour  by  a back  street  in  order  to  get  into  a house. 


in  many  cases  be  ruined,  owing  to  their  having  speculated 
to  provide  for  a larger  number  of  troops  than  have  been 
sent  to  the  island.  The  last  of  the  Indian  contingent  em- 
barked last  week.  They  seem  to  have  left  a good  impres- 
sion behind  them,  as  the  best-behaved  and  most  docile 
soldiers  ever  seen.  Their  surplus  stores  were  sold  off  a 


262 


TRUEFITTS  ESTABLISHMENT. 


day  or  two  ago  at  a fearful  loss,  horses  fetching  from  seven- 
teen shillings  to  a pound  each,  and  their  provisions  for  the 
winter  and  other  things  being  sold  at  equally  low  prices. 
Truefitts  establishment,  of  which  we  have  heard  so  much 
in  England,  is  rather  a large  affair,  and  does  a good  deal 
more  business  than  merely  haircutting  and  hairdressing. 
All  the  men  engaged  in  it  have  been  down  with  fever,  most 
of  the  hairdressers  are  gone  home,  and  neither  the  children 
nor  I could  have  our  hair  cut  by  Truefitt  in  Cyprus,  as  we 
had  intended  doing.  Some  of  the  stores  are  really  very 
well  supplied,  and  almost  any  reasonable  requirement  can 
now  be  satisfied  at  Larnaka.  But  it  is  quite  depressing  to 
go  into  any  of  the  shops  or  houses,  or  to  speak  to  anyone 
residing  here  ; they  all  have  a more  or  less  invalid  look, 
and  agree  in  giving  a terrible  account  of  the  fever  that  has 
prevailed  among  them. 

About  3 p.m.  we  started,  passing  through  the  narrow 
dusty  streets  of  mud  houses,  by  a Turkish  mosque,  where 
the  wet-nurse  of  the  Prophet  Mohammed  is  supposed  to 
have  been  buried,  and  a Roman  Catholic  convent  of  Oros 
Stavro,  or  Mountain  of  the  Cross,  the  sisters  of  mercy 
belonging  to  which  have  behaved  like  angels  all  through 
the  recent  times  of  sickness  and  misery.  On  leaving  the 
town,  the  road  lies  over  sunburnt  plains  and  between  stony 
hills,  all  the  way  up  to  Nikosia,  not  a trace  of  cultiva- 
tion being  visible  except  in  the  gardens  just  round  two 
or  three  wretched  little  villages,  and  in  a few  forsaken 
vineyards  and  cornfields.  The  road  itself  is  bad,  and  we 
were  just  an  hour  and  a half  going  the  first  eight  miles, 
to  the  village  of  Furin,  where  we  changed  horses.  Here 
an  enterprising  English  blacksmith  and  a plumber  and 


DRIVE  TO  NIKOSIA. 


263 


glazier,  failing  to  obtain  employment  in  their  respect- 
ive trades,  have  entered  into  partnership,  and,  pending 
the  completion  of  a stone  house  they  are  building,  have 
pitched  a tent,  which  they  call  the  ‘ Dewdrop  Inn/  and 
from  which  they  supply  the  thirsty  traveller  with  beer, 
lemonade,  and  other  refreshments.  Another  nine  miles’ 
ride  brought  us  to  Athienu,  where  we  changed  again.  The 
proceedings  of  nearly  all  our  horses  and  mules,  being  of 
a highly  erratic  character,  made  our  journey  occasionally 
rather  a perilous  one.  Once  we  were  as  nearly  as  possible 
upset,  owing  to  the  horses  shying  at  a dead  donkey  (a 
sight  said  to  be  as  rare  as  that  of  a dead  post-boy)  lying 
in  the  middle  of  the  road,  which  no  one  had  thought  it 
worth  while  to  remove,  though,  as  our  driver  informed  us, 
it  had  been  there  for  more  than  two  days.  We  met  the 
regular  diligence  during  the  afternoon,  and  between  the 
last  two  stations  passed  the  tents  of  the  Eastern  Telegraph 
Company’s  employes,  who  are  busy  replacing  the  present 
temporary  wooden  poles  that  support  the  wires  by  more 
substantial  iron  posts.  We  also  met  innumerable  trains 
of  heavily  laden  camels,  bringing  produce  down  from  the 
interior,  and  long  lines  of  empty  bullock-carts,  returning 
to  fetch  more  things  for  the  camp. 


Gold  Earring. 


‘Will  they  ever  hear?' 


CHAPTER  VI. 

NIKOSIA,  MATHIATI,  AND  FAMAGOUSTA. 

The  keeper  s winking  eyes  began  to  fail \ 

And  drowsy  slumber  on  the  lids  to  creep , 

Till  all  the  watchman  was  at  length  asleep. 

It  was  now  nearly  dark,  and  the  surrounding  country 
was  hardly  visible.  By  the  time  we  at  last  reached  the 
gates  of  Nikosia  we  found  them  closely  shut  for  the  night, 
and  it  was  only  after  waiting  a long  time,  with  much 
hammering  and  shouting  on  our  part,  that  an  old  Turk 
made  his  appearance,  with  a lantern  and  the  keys,  to  admit 
us.  The  air  was  rather  cold,  and  we  were  quite  glad  of 
the  wraps  we  had  been  recommended  to  bring  with  us. 
The  walls  of  the  city  are  high,  thick,  and  machicolated, 
with  many  Venetian  cannons  lying  about  outside.  In  the 
bright  moonlight  the  effect  was  very  fine,  and  I think  the 
gateway  itself,  through  which  we  entered,  cannot  be  better 


GATES  OF  NIK  O SI A 


265 


described  than  in  the  words  of  Ali  Bey,  a celebrated 
traveller  between  the  years  1 803  and  1 807  : 

‘ The  city  has  three  gates,  Paphos,  Chirigua,  and  Fama- 
gousta.  The  last  is  magnificent  It  is  composed  of  a vast 
cylindric  vault,  which  covers  the  whole  slope  or  ascent 
from  the  level  of  the  country  below  to  the  upper  plain 
on  which  the  city  is  built  ; halfway  up  the  ascent  there  is 
an  elliptical  cupola,  or  a segment  of  a sphere,  in  the  centre 
of  which  there  is  a circular  opening  for  the  admission  of  the 


Asking  for  a Pilot. 


light.  The  monument  is  entirely  constructed  of  large  hewn 
stone  or  rough  marble,  and  the  whole  edifice  is  worthy  of 
the  ancient  inhabitants.5 

The  narrow,  dirty,  and  tortuous  streets  were  deserted,  the 
dogs  howled  and  barked  dismally,  and  the  moonlight  shone 
over  the  confused  mass  of  Turkish,  Greek,  and  Venetian 
palaces,  mud  houses,  minarets,  churches,  and  mosques.  At 
last  we  drew  up  near  what  looked  like  a cafe ’ our  coach- 
man refusing  to  go  any  further,  and  proceeding  forthwith 


266 


A GUIDE  AT  LAST. 


to  unharness  his  horses  for  the  night.  We  were  soon 
■ surrounded  by  a gesticulating  crowd,  who  were  very  polite 
and  brought  us  chairs  to  sit  upon,  but  who  all  appeared  to 
be  desirous  of  taking  us  off  in  different  directions.  Un- 
fortunately not  a single  word  of  any  language  we  could 
speak  to  them  was  understood,  and  their  remarks  were 
equally  unintelligible  to  us.  ‘The  Governor/  ‘ the  Pasha/ 
‘ Sir  Garnet  Wolseley/  ‘ the  Camp/  ‘ the  Monastery/ 
‘ Government  House/  were  all  tried  ; but  as  each  name  was 
pronounced  it  seemed  to  have  no  other  effect  than  that  of 
puzzling  them  more  and  more.  At  last  one  man,  evidently 
struck  with  an  idea,  flew  off,  and  returned  in  a few  minutes 
accompanied  by  the  German-speaking  landlord  of  the 
‘Albert  Hotel,  Restaurant,  and  Lodging/  as  it  was  de- 
scribed on  the  card  he  gave  us,  who,  evidently  taking  in 
the  situation  at  a glance,  endeavoured  to  persuade  us  to 
pass  the  night  at  his  hotel,  throwing  all  sorts  of  difficulties 
in  the  way  of  our  proceeding  further,  and  asserting  that 
the  camp,  our  destination,  was  still  a matter  of  an  hour 
and  a half’s  journey.  A waiter  or  friend  who  was  with 
him,  however,  informed  us  that  Government  House  was 
not  so  far  off,  and  offered  to  show  us  the  way.  Tom  put 
me  on  one  of  the  horses,  the  rest  followed  on  foot  through 
more  narrow  streets,  till  at  last,  to  our  joy,  we  beheld  the 
red  uniform  of  a soldier  of  the  Royal  Engineers.  He  had 
been  sent  to  meet  us  at  a point  where  there  was  a short  cut 
into  the  town,  but  had  somehow  missed  us,  and  hence  all 
our  difficulty  and  delay.  He  told  us  we  had  still  two 
miles  to  go,  and  at  once  proceeded  to  take  us  out  through 
another  gate  and  across  some  ground  by  the  side  of  an 
aqueduct,  over  the  dry  bed  of  the  river,  till  at  last  we 


MONASTERY  CAMP. 


26  7 


arrived  at  the  Monastery  Camp,  Sir  Garnet  Wolseley’s 
head-quarters.  Here  we  were  warmly  welcomed  by  friends, 
both  old  and  new,  including  Sir  Garnet  himself,  Colonel 
Brackenbury,  Colonel  Greaves,  Colonel  Dormer,  Captain 
Wood,  Lord  Gifford,  Mr.  Herbert,  and  several  others. 
Three  huts,  opening  into  one  another,  and  comfortably 
furnished  with  impromptu  sofas,  easy  chairs,  writing  tables, 
rugs,  and  mats,  for  which  we  learned  afterwards  that  nearly 
every  tent  in  the  camp  had  been  ransacked,  were  placed  at 
our  disposal.  We  are  the  first  ladies  to  pass  a night  in 


Arrival  in  Camp 

the  camp,  and  as  our  arrival  had  taken 
place  rather  sooner  than  was  expected, 
everybody  had  been  busy  all  the  afternoon,  after  the  receipt 
of  our  telegram,  trying  to  make  things  as  comfortable  as 
possible  for  us  ; and  most  thoroughly  they  had  succeeded. 

It  was  now  past  10  p.m.,  and  as  we  had  eaten  nothing 
since  a light  and  early  luncheon  before  leaving  the  yacht 
at  1 p.m.,  we  were  quite  prepared  to  do  justice  to  the 
excellent  dinner  that  had  been  provided  for  us  in  the  new 
mess-hut,  which  had  only  been  completed  this  morning, 
and  had  not  yet  been  used.  We  had  much  news  to  hear 


268  SUDDEN  CHANGES  OF  TEMPERATURE. 


and  tell,  and  it  was  late  before  we  retired  to  rest  in  our 
cosiest  of  little  beds. 

Sunday , November  10 t/i. — To  sleep  under  six  blankets, 
and  yet  to  wake  up  feeling  very  cold  at  5 a.m.,  was  a new 
sensation  to  us  after  our  recent  experiences  of  heat.  The 
air  continued  to  be  quite  cool  until  9 a.m.,  and  then  all  at 
once  became  intensely  hot.  Such  sudden  changes  of  tem- 
perature must  be  very  trying  to  those  constantly  exposed 
to  them. 

Our  luggage  had  not  arrived  by  the  time  we  had  to 
dress  for  8 a.m.  breakfast.  Two  hours  later  it  was  brought 
into  the  camp,  Lord  Gifford  having  kindly  visited  every 
khan  in  Nikosia  to  look  for  it,  and  finally  discovered  it  at 
an  inn  a little  way  out  of  the  town,  where  the  muleteers 
in  whose  charge  it  was  were  quietly  reposing,  instead  of 
bringing  the  luggage  straight  on,  as  they  had  promised 
most  faithfully  to  do. 

After  breakfast  we  strolled  through  the  camp  to  the 
Greek  monastery  from  which  it  takes  its  name,  a large 
ancient  building,  containing  a church  and  many  cells,  some 
of  which  are  now  used  by  Sir  Garnet  for  office  purposes 
during  the  daytime,  when  the  tents  are  unbearably  hot. 
The  pretty  little  garden  attached  is  full  of  jasmine,  verbena, 
and  oleander,  and  we  were  invited  to  take  a stroll  in  it 
till  the  Archimandrite,  or  Archbishop  of  Cyprus,  was 
ready  to  receive  us  himself,  with  all  his  attendant  priests, 
and  to  show  us  the  church.  He  is  a fine-looking  old  man, 
about  seventy  years  of  age,  with  piercing  black  eyes,  a 
long  grey  beard,  and  a polite  but  dignified  manner — alto- 
gether quite  one’s  beau  ideal  of  a Greek  patriarch.  In  the 
church,  to  which  he  conducted  us,  there  is  a fine  gilt  carved 


ARCHIEPISCOPAL  HOSPITALITY. 


269 


wood  screen,  containing  three  pictures  in  the  Byzantine 
style,  of  considerable  merit,  and  surmounted  by  some  life- 
size  figures  of  the  apostles.  The  pulpit  is  most  curiously 
arranged.  A little  carved  and  gilt  lantern  is  fixed  against 
the  wall,  close  to  an  arch,  on  the  opposite  side  of  which 
is  suspended  a ladder  by  means  of  ropes,  which,  when 
lowered,  forms  the  only  means  of  communication  between 
the  pulpit  and  the  floor  of  the  church ; so  that  when  once 
the  priest  has  ascended,  and  the  ladder  has  been  removed, 
he  cannot  get  down  again  without  assistance.  After  our 
visit  to  the  church,  the  Archimandrite  invited  us  to  his  own 
apartments,  where  we  were  entertained  with  sweetmeats, 
cold  water,  and  Turkish  coffee.  The  view  from  his  balcony 
was  very  pretty,  looking  first  over  the  camp  with  its  now 
nearly  empty  white  tents,  and  its  huts  fast  approaching 
completion,  to  the  town  of  Nikosia,  which  from  the  distance 
looks  a most  delightful  place,  its  white  churches,  belfries, 
and  mosques  rising  towards  the  blue  sky  from  what  ap- 
pears to  be  a mass  of  verdure.  Over  the  plain  beyond  we 
could  see  the  Pentadactylon,  or  five-fingered  mountain,  in 
the  northern  range,  which  forms  a conspicuous  landmark 
in  most  parts  of  the  island.  Nikosia,  the  capital,  possessed 
at  one  time  some  fine  buildings,  now  in  ruins,  or  replaced 
by  the  miserable  mud  houses  of  the  modern  Turk.  The 
Archimandrite  is  the  chief  spiritual  authority  in  the  island, 
and  though  the  principal  convent,  Kikko,  is  situated 
high  up  in  the  mountains,  near  the  Troodos,  he  gene- 
rally resides  here,  as  being  more  convenient.  His  beha- 
viour to  us  was  most  polite  and  courteous,  though  our 
conversation,  being  carried  on  entirely  through  an  inter- 
preter, was  rather  a tedious  affair.  He  begged  us  to  go 


27  o 


RAVAGES  OF  FEVER. 


and  see  his  head  establishment  at  Kikko,  and  at  parting 
presented  me  with  a beautiful  sponge  from  Kyrenia, 
where  the  best  specimens  are  procured.  The  British  flag 
now  waves  over  the  monastery.  The  patriarch  made  a 
great  ceremony  of  blessing  it  before  allowing  it  to  be 
hoisted,  and  had  to  send  all  the  way  to  Kikko  for  his  state 
robes,  in  which  to  officiate  on  the  occasion. 

It  had  by  this  time  become  intensely  hot,  and  we  there- 
fore retired  to  our  huts,  to  read  and  write,  and  look  at  the 
most  recent  English  newspapers,  brought  by  last  night’s 
mail.  We  were  soon  driven,  however,  to  seek  some  cooler 
spot,  which  we  at  last  found  under  the  shade  of  some  olive- 
trees,  where  we  were  fanned  by  a pleasant  breeze. 

There  are  not  many  soldiers  in  this  camp  now  that  the 
Indians  are  gone,  but  the  percentage  of  sickness  still  remains 
very  high.  The  state  of  things  in  the  summer  months, 
with  the  thermometer  in  the  daytime  at  120°  and  during 
the  night  at  8o°  (a  great  contrast),  and  the  men  dropping 
off  like  sheep,  must  have  been  terrible.  The  poor  fellows 
had  to  sleep  eight  together  in  a bell  tent,  on  the  ground, 
without  any  comforts,  with  but  few  duties  to  perform,  and 
no  amusements  to  distract  their  attention  from  thinking  who 
might  next  be  seized  by  the  fever.  The  Indians  suffered 
just  as  much  as  the  British.  The  difficulties  of  inter- 
ment were  great  among  men  of  so  many  different  religions. 
Caste  had  to  be  considered.  Some  burned  their  dead  ; 
the  rest  buried  them,  with  various  peculiar  ceremonies. 
Even  among  the  Europeans  there  were  Greek,  Moham- 
medan, Catholic,  and  Protestant  ideas  on  the  subject  to  be 
taken  into  consideration. 

The  men  remaining  here  are  only  just  now  being  moved 


BUILDINGS  OF  NIKOSIA. 


271 


into  the  huts  as  each  one  is  finished.  I fear,  however,  that 
these  will  not  afford  much  protection  against  the  cold  and  wet 
weather  when  it  comes  ; for  though  they  are  well  ventilated 
at  each  end  and  round  the  eaves,  the  boards  of  which  they 
are  constructed  do  not  fit  well,  the  spaces  between  them 
rendering  it  quite  unnecessary  to  go  to  the  windows  in 
order  to  see  what  is  going  on  outside.  This  morning,  for 
instance,  I watched  from  my  bed,  through  the  cracks  in 
the  wall,  the  sun  rise  over  the  distant  plain. 

The  thermometer  at  2 p.m.,  in  the  mess-hut,  was  very 
high  ; but  by  3.30  p.m.,  when  we  all  started  for  a ride  into 
Nikosia,  the  air  was  beginning  to  get  somewhat  cooler.  A 
large  number  of  Greek  women  living  at  Nikosia,  having 
heard  of  our  arrival,  had  walked  all  the  way  up  to  the  camp 
- — a rather  long  journey  for  them — for  the  purpose  of  seeing 
us,  and  were  now  waiting  quietly  and  respectfully  under  the 
olive-trees,  at  a short  distance  from  our  huts,  in  order  to  see 
us  pass.  We  were  quite  a large  party,  attended  by  several 
zaptiehs,  interpreters,  &c.  On  our  way  we  were  met  by 
the  Commissioner  of  Nikosia,  Colonel  Biddulph,  who 
kindly  invited  us  all  to  go  and  have  tea  with  him. 

The  town  is  disappointing  inside,  although  there  are 
some  fine  buildings  still  left.  The  old  cathedral  of  St. 
Sophia,  now  used  as  a mosque,  is  superb  in  the  richness 
of  its  design  and  tracery,  and  the  purity  of  its  Gothic 
architecture.  Opposite  the  cathedral  is  the  church  of  St. 
Nicholas,  now  used  as  a granary.  The  three  Gothic 
portals  are  among  the  finest  I have  ever  seen.  Every 
house  in  Nikosia  possesses  a luxuriant  garden,  and  the 
bazaars  are  festooned  with  vines  ; but  the  whole  place 
wears,  notwithstanding,  an  air  of  desolation,  ruin,  and  dirt. 


272 


RARITY  OF  SNAKES. 


Government  House  is  one  of  the  best  of  the  old  Turkish 
residences. 

From  the  Turkish  prison  we  passed  through  a narrow 
dirty  street,  with  ruined  houses  and  wasted  gardens  on 
either  side,  out  into  the  open  country  again,  when  a 
sharp  canter  over  the  plain  and  through  a small  village 
brought  us  to  the  place  where  the  new  Government  House 
is  in  course  of  erection.  This  spot  is  called  Snake  Hill, 
from  two  snakes  having  once  been  discovered  and  killed 
there,  a fact  which  shows  how  idle  are  the  rumours  of  the 
prevalence  of  poisonous  reptiles  in  the  island.  It  is  a rare 
thing  to  meet  with  them,  and  I have  seen  one  or  two 
collectors  who  had  abandoned  in  despair  the  idea  of  doing 
so.  The  site  selected  for  Government  House  is  a com- 
manding one,  looking  over  river,  plain,  town,  mountains, 
and  what  were  once  forests. 

Having  stopped  to  watch  the  glorious  sunset,  we  had 
a capital  gallop  back  into  the  camp,  through  another 
village,  situated  in  the  midst  of  fertile  gardens  and  fields. 
We  saw  the  place  where  the  Ghoorkas  had  been  quartered, 
with  the  rows  of  stone  troughs  from  which  their  horses 
had  been  fed.  The  Indian  paat  tents  they  have  left  be- 
hind have  been  found  both  useful  and  comfortable  ; for 
being  very  thick,  and  lined  with  a dark  blue  material,  they 
keep  out  the  heat  better  than  any  of  those  furnished  by  the 
English  commissariat  department. 

It  was  dark  before  we  got  back,  and  the  air  was 
quite  cool.  We  had  a pleasant  dinner  in  the  mess-hut, 
a party  of  eight. 

Monday , November  nth. — The  night  was  again  cold, 
and  even  at  8 a.m.  breakfast,  by  which  time  the  sun  was 


MARCH  OF  PRISONERS. 


273 


high  and  bright,  the  air  was  still  chilly.  About  10  a.m. 
we  started  to  ride  to  Kythraea,  a village  situated  in  a 
lovely  valley,  about  ten  miles  off.  Our  road  at  first  was 
by  way  of  the  bridge  over  the  river  Pedaeus.  Close  by 
is  a precipice,  down  which  are  thrown  the  carcases  of  all 
the  animals  that  die  or  are  killed  in  the  town  ; conse- 
quently there  was  a pack  of  hungry  half-starved  dogs 
hanging  about,  who  barked  at  us  most  vociferously  as 
we  disturbed  them.  We  passed  a corner  of  the  town, 
and  rode  along  under  the  massive  walls  to  the  Kyrenia 
gate,  which  forms  the  entrance  to  a fortress,  and  is  very 
like  the  Famagousta  gate,  already  described.  Here  it  was 
that,  on  August  25,  1878,  a curious  scene  was  enacted. 
The  Turkish  prisoners  confined  at  Nikosia  were  all  brought 
out,  bound  together  in  threes,  made  up  into  parties  of 
about  fifty,  and  marched  in  detachments  to  Kyrenia  to 
embark  on  board  the  ‘ Black  Prince  ’ for  the  opposite  coast. 
The  walls  of  the  town  were  covered  with  Turkish  women, 
weeping,  howling,  and  lamenting.  Some  of  the  men  broke 
down,  others  behaved  like  Stoics  ; but  it  must  have  been  a 
sad  sight  as  they  were  marched  off,  and  the  women  were 
left  weeping  round  the  three  camel-loads  of  chains  that 
had  been  removed  from  the  prisoners.  The  men  had  pre- 
viously been  informed  of  what  was  going  to  be  done  with 
them  ; but  it  seems  that  they  were  under  the  impression 
that  they  were  to  be  set  free  on  arriving  at  their  destina- 
tion, and  they  therefore  marched  bravely  along  to  Kyrenia, 
fifteen  miles  distant,  without  one  of  their  number  break- 
ing down  or  attempting  to  offer  the  slightest  resistance.  It 
was  well  that  this  was  the  case  ; for  the  guard  in  whose 
charge  they  were,  both  English  and  Indian,  were  so  much 


274 


THE  SUN  IN  CYPRUS. 


affected  by  the  heat  of  the  sun  that  they  kept  falling  out 
by  the  way,  and  could  have  done  little  to  resist  any  attempt 
of  their  prisoners  to  escape,  more  especially  as  the  latter 
helped  the  tired  soldiers  by  carrying  their  guns.  They 
all  reached  Kyrenia  at  4 p.m.,  having  started  at  7 a.m., 
and  were  handed  over  to  the  care  of  the  commissioner, 
by  whom  they  were  put  into  the  old  fort,  under  the 
guard  of  some  men  of  the  42nd  Regiment.  During  the 
night  two  of  them  managed  to  escape  through  a hole  in 
the  wall,  but  the  remainder  were  safely  embarked  on  board 
the  ‘ Black  Prince  ’ the  next  morning  ; and  right  glad  was 
everybody  in  the  island  to  be  rid  of  them,  for  they  were 
a set  of  desperate  ruffians. 

Leaving  the  walls  of  the  city  behind,  we  crossed  a sandy 
stony  plain.  For  about  two  hours  we  saw  no  signs  of 
fertility,  but  we  then  began  to  pass  through  vineyards, 
cotton-fields,  and  pomegranate,  olive,  and  orange-tree 
plantations,  till  we  reached  the  house  of  a rich  Armenian, 
whose  brother  is  one  of  the  interpreters  at  the  camp.  His 
wife  and  daughters  came  out  to  receive  us,  and  conducted 
us  along  a passage  full  of  girls  picking  cotton,  and  through 
two  floors  stored  with  sesame,  grain  of  various  kinds,  cotton, 
melons,  gourds,  &c.,  to  a suite  of  spacious  rooms  on  the 
upper  floor,  opening  into  one  another,  with  windows  looking 
over  a valley.  Oh,  the  delight  of  reposing  on  a Turkish 
divan,  in  a cool  stone-built  house,  after  that  long  ride  in 
the  burning  heat  ! Truly  the  sun  of  Cyprus  is  as  a raging 
lion,  even  in  this  month  of  November  ; what  then  must  it 
be  in  the  height  of  summer  ? The  officers  all  agree  in 
saying  that  they  have  never  felt  anything  like  it,  even 
in  the  hottest  parts  of  India  or  the  tropics.  The  lady  of 


KYTHRjEA. 


275 


the  house  brought  us  sweetmeats,  cold  water,  coffee,  and 
lemonade,  and  after  a little  rest  we  were  able  to  do  full 
justice  to  the  lunch  which  Sir  Garnet  had  previously  sent 
on  for  us  by  a couple  of  servants. 

.After  that,  we  mounted  fresh  mules,  and  rode  up  the 
valley,  by  the  running  water,  to  the  point  where  it  gushes 
from  the  hill,  or  rather  mountain,  side,  a clear  stream  of 
considerable  power.  It  rises  suddenly  from  the  limestone 
rock  at  the  foot  of  Pentadactylon,  nearly  3,000  feet  high, 
in  the  northern  range  of  mountains.  No  one  knows  whence 
it  springs  ; but  from  the  earliest  times  it  has  been  cele- 
brated, and  some  writers  have  asserted  that  it  comes  all 
the  way,  under  the  sea,  from  the  mountains  of  Karamania, 
in  Asia  Minor.  The  effect  produced  is  magical,  trees  and 
crops  of  all  kinds  flourishing  luxuriantly  under  its  ferti- 
lising influence.  The  village  of  Kythraea  itself  nestles  in 
fruit-trees  and  flowering  shrubs,  and  every  wall  is  covered 
with  maidenhair  fern,  the  fronds  of  which  are  frequently 
four  and  five  feet  long.  The  current  of  the  stream  is  used 
to  turn  many  mills,  some  of  the  most  primitive  character, 
but  all  doing  their  work  well,  though  the  strong  water- 
power is  capable  of  much  fuller  development. 

On  returning  to  the  house  of  the  Armenian,  I ohose 
and  bought  some  fine  large  pure  white  turkeys,  of  a breed 
for  which  Cyprus  is  famed,  to  be  sent  into  the  camp  and 
thence  to  Larnaka,  where  they  will  be  shipped  to  England. 
It  is  curious  that  the  proprietor  of  a large  estate,  including 
acres  of  the  richest  land  in  this  most  fertile  valley,  should, 
like  his  brother,  be  willing  to  earn  Js.  6d.  a day  as  an  in- 
terpreter in  the  camp,  and  even  offer  to  act  as  private 
servant  to  one  of  the  officers,  and  to  perform  the  most 


276 


NATIVE  SILK . 


menial  duties.  But  the  Armenians  are,  as  a rule,  a money- 
getting race,  and  will  do  anything  for  the  love  of  gain, 
even  to  the  sacrifice  of  their  personal  pride. 

It  was  nearly  dark  when  we  started  to  return,  and  it 
was  with  many  a stumble,  but  never  a tumble,  that  we 
galloped  across  the  stony  plain,  and  reached  the  camp 
about  7 p.m.  Here  we  found  a silk  merchant  from  Nikosia 
waiting  to  see  us,  with  a collection  of  the  soft  silks  of  the 
country,  celebrated  since  the  days  of  Boccaccio.  They 
look  rather  like  poplin,  but  are  really  made  entirely  of  silk, 
three-quarters  of  a yard  in  width,  and  costing  about  three 
shillings  a yard,  the  price  being  actually  reckoned  in 
piastres  for  price  and  pics  for  measurement.  The  prettiest, 
I think,  are  those  which  are  undyed,  and  retain  the  natural 
colour  of  the  cocoon,  from  creamy  white  to  the  darkest 
gold.  Some  prefer  a sort  of  slaty  grey,  of  which  a great 
quantity  is  made  ; but  I think  it  is  very  ugly.  We  bought 
a few  specimens,  and  also  some  pretty  crinkly  stuff,  made 
by  hand  by  the  native  women,  and  worn  in  the  shape  of 
long  chemises  or  shirts,  trimmed  with  lace.  Sir  Garnet 
Wolseley  sent  one  over  to  the  Queen  as  a speciality  of  the 
country,  and  she  liked  it  so  much  that  she  has  sent  for  two 
more.  The  young  lady  who  made  the  specimen  chemise 
is  the  daughter  of  one  of  the  richest  men  in  Nikosia,  a 
member  of  the  council,  and  the  holder  of  other  important 
offices.  She  did  not  perform  her  task  as  a matter  of 
sentiment,  but  purely  as  one  of  £ s.  d.  ; and  when  it  was 
completed  she  sent  her  servant  with  the  garment  to  the 
camp,  giving  her  strict  orders  not  to  part  with  her  parcel 
until  she  had  received  the  money. 

The  clouds  to-night  look  dark  and  lowering,  and  very 


CAMP  AT  MATHIATL 


2 77 


unpromising  for  our  proposed  mountain  expedition.  The 
rain  has  been  due  for  more  than  six  weeks,  and  is  much 
wanted  for  the  good  of  the  island  ; but  T do  hope  it  will 
wait  another  day  or  two. 

Tuesday , November  12 th. — The  night  has  been  bitterly 
cold  ; not  the  clear  crisp  cold  one  sometimes  feels  on  a 
mountain  top,  but  a damp,  clammy,  penetrating  cold,  that 
made  the  teeth  chatter  and  the  bones  shake,  in  spite  of 
any  amount  of  bedclothes.  Dressing  and  a tub  were  a real 
trial,  and  I was  positively  too  frozen  to  eat  any  breakfast  at 
7 a.m.  ; in  fact,  it  was  not  until  after  a good  gallop  in  the 
bright  sun  that  my  blood  began  to  circulate  freely  again. 
I do  not  think  the  thermometer  was  below  40°,  but  even 
that  implies  a difference  of  more  than  forty  degrees  from 
the  temperature  of  the  middle  of  the  day. 

We  felt  very  sorry  to  say  good-bye  to  the  camp,  where 
everybody  had  been  so  kind  to  us,  and  where  we  have  been 
made  so  comfortable.  Sir  Garnet  Wolseley  and  Mr.  Herbert 
rode  with  us  nearly  to  the  village  of  Zered,  where  we  parted, 
with  expressions  of  mutual  regret,  and  a promise  to  meet 
again  at  Kikko  on  Friday.  They  returned  to  the  Monas- 
tery camp,  while  we  went  on  with  a zaptieh  to  the  camp 
at  Mathiati,  to  lunch,  and  to  see  what  there  was  to  be 
seen  there.  It  was  a hot  and  dreary  ride.  Our  zaptieh 
did  not  know  the  way  very  well  ; but  at  last  we  perceived 
some  white  tents  in  the  distance,  under  the  shade  of  a few 
carob-trees.  It  proved  to  be  the  camp  of  the  Royal 
Engineers,  who  informed  us  that  the  camp  of  the  71st 
Regiment  was  not  very  far  off.  Tom  stopped  to  have  a 
chat  with  them.  They  looked  miserably  ill,  and  said  they 
had  suffered  and  were  still  suffering  much  from  fever, 


2 78 


CAUSES  OF  FEVER, 


though  they  seemed  to  think  that  if  they  had  been  pro- 
perly fed  and  sheltered  they  might  have  escaped  many  of 
the  miseries  they  have  had  to  endure.  Some  people  say 
that  this  island  is  not  specially  unhealthy,  and  that  if  the 
same  number  of  troops  had  been  landed  at  Malta  under 
precisely  similar  conditions,  they  would  have  suffered  just 
as  much.  It  is  difficult  to  understand  why  fever  should 
be  so  prevalent  here.  Some  of  the  doctors  say  that  there 
is  water  all  over  the  island  very  near  the  surface  of  the 
soil,  though  it  does  not  actually  appear  ; and  in  support 
of  this  theory  they  point  to  the  ease  with  which  water  is 
obtained  by  sinking  wells.  Others  say  that  the  prevalence 
of  disease,  especially  among  the  native  inhabitants — who 
suffer  nearly  as  much  as  the  foreigners — is  owing  to  the 
fact  that  almost  every  well  is  dug  within  ten  feet  of  a 
Turkish  or  Greek  cemetery.  Others  again  are  of  opinion 
that  the  disintegration  of  the  granite  and  sandstone,  of 
which  the  island  is  largely  composed,  is  the  cause  of  the 
fever.  Certainly  it  seems  to  be  almost  as  bad  five  hundred 
or  a thousand  feet  above  the  sea,  on  rocky  soil,  as  it  is  on 
the  plains  near  the  sea-shore. 

We  rode  through  the  camp  until  we  met  a soldier  who 
took  us  to  our  friend’s  cool  shady  little  tent,  where  every- 
thing had  been  charmingly  arranged  for  our  reception,  and 
where  we  sat  in  the  shade  and  chatted  and  lunched.  Then 
we  went  all  round  the  camp,  admired  the  distant  views  of 
the  mountains  above  Kyrenia  and  of  the  sea  towards  Lar- 
naka,  and  visited  the  hospital  tents,  where  we  heard  the 
usual  sad  tale  that  above  twenty  per  cent,  of  the  men  were 
ill.  This  looks  a perfectly  healthy  spot,  the  ground  being 
rocky  and  sloping,  the  trees  shady,  and  the  water  supply 


DALI. 


279 


apparently  good ; and  yet  the  men  have  suffered  greatly, 
though  not  so  severely  as  at  Kyrenia. 

In  the  course  of  our  visit  to  the  camp  we  had  noticed  a 
small  square  hut,  looking  exceedingly  like  a large  packing- 
case,  standing  apart  from  the  others  on  an  adjacent  knoll. 
From  this  presently  emerged  an  old  Gibraltar  friend,  who 
used  to  act  as  whip  to  the  Calpe  hounds.  He  has  not 
yet  thought  it  worth  while  to  make  himself  comfortable,  as 
he  is  awaiting  the  arrival  of  his  wife  and  his  hounds, 
now  on  their  way  out  from  England.  All  the  soldiers 
are  looking  forward  eagerly  to  the  hunting,  as  there  are 
plenty  of  hares  and  foxes  about,  and  the  country  is  not  at 
all  bad  to  ride  over,  though  there  are  no  fences. 

Having  indulged  in  a short  rest  after  our  expedition 
we  started  to  ride  down  to  Dali,  the  ancient  Idalium, 
where  the  carriage  was  to  meet  us.  It  was  an  interesting 
ride  alongside  the  new  road  which  the  English  are  making 
from  Dali  to  Mathiati.  The  whole  population  of  the  neigh- 
bourhood is  employed  on  this  work,  so  that  we  had  every 
opportunity  of  observing  the  inhabitants.  The  men  earn 
one  shilling,  the  women  ninepence  a day,  and  even  the 
little  children  get  fivepence  a day  for  filling  baskets  with 
stones  and  bringing  them  down  from  the  hillside.  When 
we  reached  Dali,  neither  zaptieh  nor  carriage  could  we 
find,  and  we  were  beginning  to  despair;  for  a Turkish 
village  with  windowless  mud  houses,  doors  tightly  shut, 
and  very  few  inhabitants,  whose  language  is  incomprehen- 
sible, is  not  at  all  a pleasant  place  in  which  to  search  for 
anything,  especially  when  the  shades  of  night  are  falling 
fast,  and  one  is  already  tolerably  tired.  I was  sorry  that 
our  visit  to  the  place  had  not  been  made  under  more 


28o 


ANCIENT  BURYING-GROUNDS. 


advantageous  circumstances,  as  it  was  here  that  General 
Cesnola  lived  for  several  summers,  almost  in  the  open  air, 
and  in  this  neighbourhood  that  he  made  some  of  his  most 
interesting  discoveries,  which  cannot  be  better  described 
than  in  his  own  words  : 

‘ On  the  eastern  side  of  the  river  Pedaeus,  I discovered 
as  many  as  five  different  ancient  burying-grounds,  all  con- 
taining terra-cotta  vases  like  those  of  the  Phoenician  Ida- 
lium,  to  which  town  they  appear  to  have  belonged,  as  I 
met  with  no  traces  of  foundations  of  buildings,  or  broken 
pottery,  or  such  other  indications  as  to  lead  me  to  believe 
that  there  had  been  ancient  habitations  there. 

‘ Farther  to  the  south-east  of  these  cemeteries  there  is  a 
curiously  shaped  mound  in  the  form  of  a sugar-loaf,  which 
attracted  my  attention.  I dug  there,  and  though  on  its 
summit  there  are  no  indications  of  buildings,  I discovered 
on  its  slopes  several  tombs  deeply  excavated  in  the  cal- 
careous rock,  and  made  to  contain  a single  body.  In  one 
of  them  I found  two  bowls  of  a green  glazed  terra-cotta, 
decorated  inside  with  Egyptian  representations  painted  in 
black,  and  a curiously  shaped  vase,  representing  a female 
figure,  with  movable  terra-cotta  earrings  ; the  stopper,  also 
of  earthenware,  represented  a crown,  which,  when  placed 
on  the  aperture  at  the  top  of  the  head,  completes  the 
figure.  The  figure  was  seated  on  an  earthenware  chair. 
This  curious  vase  holds  a quart  of  water.  The  other  tombs 
contained  vases  in  the  forms  of  quadrupeds  and  aquatic  birds, 
some  highly  ornamented  with  geometric  patterns ; also 
round-bottom  vases  with  long  necks,  whorls  and  tripods  in 
serpentine  and  terra-cotta.  Some  of  these  vases  are  iden- 
tical in  character  with  those  found  by  Dr.  Schliemann  in 


TURKISH  CIVILITY. 


281 


his  excavations  at  Hissarlik.  These  tombs  are,  in  my 
opinion,  among  the  oldest  found  in  Idalium.’ 

At  last  we  succeeded  in  finding  zaptieh,  carriage, 
coachman,  and  all,  not  a moment  too  soon,  for  just  at  this 
point  one  of  the  horses  we  were  riding,  who  had  not  been 
well  all  day,  refused  absolutely  to  move  a step  further, 
and  we  were  obliged  to  leave  him  behind  to  be  sent  on  to 
Larnaka,  which  he  never  reached,  poor  beast,  having  died 
at  the  house  where  we  left  him.  He  was  a cast-off  from 
the  Ghoorkas,  and  was  bought  only  a week  ago  for  seven- 
teen shillings  ; but  the  poor  beast  had  rare  good  pluck  of 
his  own,  and  could  outgallop  any  of  the  others  until  to- 
day. While  the  horses  were  being  put  to,  a civil  Turk 
brought  us  out  chairs,  and  offered  us  the  usual  sweetmeats 
and  cold  water.  The  manners  of  these  people,  even  of  the 
lowest  class,  are  really  quite  charming,  and  make  one  feel 
that  one’s  own  ways  are  brusque  by  comparison. 

The  drive  from  this  point  to  the  main  road  from  Nikosia 
to  Larnaka  was  through  a more  fertile  country,  and  Larnaka 
was  finally  reached  at  about  7 p.m.,  the  Commissioner  and 
another  friend  being  engaged  to  dine  with  us  on  board  at 
7.30  p.m.  The  diligence,  due  at  4.30  p.m.,  had  not  arrived, 
nor  the  mules  with  the  baggage.  The  muleteers,  who 
almost  all  live  at  Athienu,  halfway  between  Nikosia  and 
Larnaka,  are  obliging  and  honest,  but  unpunctual  and  slow. 
It  was  10  p.m.  before  the  first  lot  of  luggage  arrived,  and 
8 a.m.  the  following  day  before  the  remainder  reached  us. 

Colonel  White  showed  us  a great  many  interesting 
things  during  our  few  minutes’  stay  at  his  office — talc  in 
large  slabs,  yellow  ochre,  lead,  gold,  copper,  plumbago,  and 
other  mineral  products  of  the  island.  Lastly  he  showed 


282 


BAD  NEWS. 


us  a room  full  of  vases  and  glassware,  which  General 
Cesnola’s  brother  had  dug  up,  and  was  taking  away  when 
stopped  by  the  English  officials.  Unfortunately  he  had 
already  succeeded  in  smuggling  off  a good  many  things 
before  they  knew  what  he  was  about. 

On  board  we  found  bad  news  awaiting  us.  One  of  our 
men,  named  Bonner,  had  been  taken  ill  with  dysentery  on 
the  way  from  Messina  to  Cyprus,  but  had  seemed  to  be  get- 
ting better.  The  doctor  now  told  us  that  a change  for  the 
worse  had  taken  place,  and  that  he  feared  he  was  dying. 
Another  of  the  crew  was  also  seriously  ill,  and  the  head 
steward  was  down  with  what  at  the  time  was  supposed  to 
be  fever  ; while,  to  make  matters  worse,  a telegram  had 
arrived  from  England,  announcing  the  death  of  the  wife 
of  poor  Kindred,  the  mate.  The  news  was  a terrible  blow 
to  him,  the  more  so  as  she  was  quite  well  when  last  he 
heard  from  her.  It  was  rather  hard  work  to  entertain  one’s 
guests  with  all  this  on  one’s  mind.  We  were  to  have 
sailed  at  5 a.m.  to-morrow,  but  this  is  now  impossible. 

Wednesday , November  13th. — Up  very  early,  making 
arrangements  for  poor  Bonner  to  be  taken  on  shore. 
He  was  terribly  weak,  and  some  one  had  been  sitting  up 
all  night  giving  him  nourishment  constantly.  Still,  I hope 
the  change  from  his  berth  on  board  to  a nice  large  airy 
room  on  shore  may  be  beneficial,  though  I am  sorry  to  say 
our  doctor  is  very  desponding  about  him.  The  moving 
was  managed  better  than  we  could  have  expected.  He 
was  placed  on  my  long  cushioned  basket-chair,  landed  at 
the  nearest  spot  to  the  hospital 1 — or  rather  convent — and 

1 There*is  no  regular  hospital  here,  but  the  kind  Sisters  of  Mercy  have 
done  their  best  to  supply  the  want  of  one. 


A SICK  HERO . 


283 


carried  by  relays  of  ten  of  our  men  right  into  his  new 
quarters,  a spacious  room,  of  which  the  only  tenant  was  a 
Frenchman,  who  speaks  a little  English,  and  who,  I hope, 
will  be  a cheerful  companion  for  him.  It  is  strange  that 
so  strong  a man  should  have  been  taken  suddenly  ill  on  a 
voyage  from  Messina  to  Crete,  with  a fresh  invigorating 
breeze  blowing  all  the  time,  after  having  braved  the  heats 
of  the  tropics  and  of  the  Red  Sea.  A gold  medal  was 
presented  to  him  by  the  French  Government  for  saving 
lives  on  the  Arabian  coast  when  the  French  mail-steamer, 
some  of  whose  passengers  were  rescued  by  the  crew  of 
the  ‘ Glen  Eagle,’  ran  ashore.  Bonner,  then  one  of  her  crew, 
carried  one  woman  seven  miles  across  the  burning  sand,  in 
the  heat  of  the  day,  without  shoes,  and  yet  now  he  breaks 
down  under  what  are  apparently  the  healthiest  conditions. 

Bills  had  next  to  be  settled,  and  the  washing,  which 
was  of  course  not  forthcoming,  had  to  be  sought  for. 
One  man  had  a portion  of  it,  and,  as  no  one  knew  where 
he  lived,  we  had  first  to  go  and  find  him  out,  and  then 
to  get  our  linen  away  by  main  force,  wet  or  rough-dried, 
just  as  it  was.  Then  the  doctor  had  broken  his  medical 
thermometer,  and  we  had  to  get  another,  as  a great  favour, 

■ from  the  head  physician  here.  But  at  last  all  these  little 
difficulties  were  surmounted,  and  we  found  ourselves  once 
more  on  board,  really  ready  for  a start,  at  10  a.m.,  and  the 
‘ Sunbeam  ’ steamed  out  of  the  open  roadstead  of  Larnaka, 
along  the  barren  coast,  past  some  uninteresting  towns  and 
villages,  to  Famagousta,  where  we  arrived  at  about 
2 p.m. 

H.M.S.  ‘ Foxhound,’  which  had  anchored  shortly  before 
our  arrival,  hoisted  the  signal,  ‘Take  care — great  caution 


284 


FAMAGOUSTA . 


required  ; ’ so  we  proceeded  very  slowly,  until  the  officer 
in  command,  Lieutenant  Noel,  kindly  came  on  board  and 
showed  us  the  way  in.  The  channel  is  not  really  very  intri- 
cate, but  the  mole  is  all  broken  down,  and  it  is  not  easy  to 
see  where  the  reef  ends.  The  walls  of  the  town,  from  which 
there  is  a fine  view  over  the  surrounding  country,  are  very 
massive,  though  in  ruins  in  many  places.  The  cathedral 


palm-trees,  and  give  the  place  rather  an  imposing  appear- 
ance ; but  there  is  an  air  of  desolation  about  the  whole  city 
such  as  I never  saw  elsewhere,  and  the  picture  of  ruin  and 
decay  was  completed  by  an  adjacent  marsh.  Famagousta 
is  one  of  four  cities  founded  by  Ptolemy  Philadelphus  in 
honour  of  his  sister  Arsinoe,  whose  name  it  bore  until 
after  the  battle  of  Actium,  when  it  was  renamed  Fama 


INTERIOR  OF  THE  CITY . 


285 


Augusti  by  the  victor,  Augustus,  in  his  own  honour.  The 
city  has  been  built,  rebuilt,  and  fortified  by  Lusignans, 
Genoese,  and  Venetians,  successively,  always  with  stones 
from  the  ancient  Salamis,  four  miles  distant,  across  the 
plain  by  the  sea-shore.  The  original  of  Shakespeare’s 
Othello  was  at  one  time  governor  here. 

On  the  way  to  the  shore  we  met  the  doctor  coming 
off  in  his  boat  to  give  us  pratique ; he  turned  round,  and 
we  all  landed  together.  The  inner  harbour  was  full  of 
small  caiques,  and  on  the  shore  stood  a long  team  of 
camels,  laden  with  pomegranates  in  sacks.  Some  civil 
but  ragged  Turks  met  us,  offered  the  children  and  me 
some  pomegranates,  and  showed  us  the  way  to  the 
Latin  cathedral  of  St.  Nicholas.  As  in  the  case  of  St. 
Sophia  at  Nikosia,  its  Gothic  arches  are  filled  in  with 
Turkish  wooden  tracery,  and  the  building  is  now  used  as 
a mosque. 

If  Famagousta  presents  a melancholy  appearance  from 
the  outside,  the  spectacle  within  is  still  more  depressing. 
In  the  midst  of  the  dust  and  ruins  of  houses  and  palaces, 
once  containing  a population  of  three  hundred  thousand 
souls,  are  now  to  be  found  a few  miserable  mud  huts,  the 
habitations  of  some  three  hundred  people.  Three  churches 
remain  standing  where  once  there  were  two  hundred  ; and 
in  the  streets  only  a few  cadaverous-looking  creatures 
may  be  seen  gliding  about  like  ghosts. 

At  the  Government  House  we  went  to  see  some  officers 
whose  servants  are  all  down  with  fever,  including  even  the 
groom,  a once  celebrated  Syrian  highwayman,  rather  in  the 
Dick  Turpin  style,  whose  history  is  decidedly  interesting. 
This  man  was  originally  a groom  in  tne  emoloy  of  a 


286 


KATTIRDJI-JANNI \ THE  BRIGAND. 
% 


wealthy  Turk  near  Smyrna  ; but  having  eloped  with  his 
masters  daughter,  he  found  it  necessary  to  flee  to  the 
mountains,  where  he  became  a brigand  of  the  romantic 
type,  robbing  only  the  rich  and  assisting  the  poor.  It  is 
even  said  that  at  various  times  he  gave  dowries  to  as  many 
as  two  thousand  Greek  girls.  Every  effort  was  made  by 
the  Turkish  authorities  to  capture  him  ; but  as  he  had  a 
friend  in  every  peasant,  he  invariably  succeeded  in  evading 
the  soldiers  sent  after  him.  During  the  Crimean  war,  some 
British  troops  assisted  the  Turks  in  one  of  their  expeditions 
in  search  of  Kattirdji-Janni  (which  was  the  brigand’s 
name),  but  with  the  same  result.  On  one  occasion  it  is 
related  that  he  suddenly  entered  a house  near  Smyrna  at 
the  head  of  a dozen  followers,  all  armed  to  the  teeth.  The 
family  were  at  supper,  and  Kattirdji-Janni,  quietly  seating 
himself,  remarked  that  as  soon  as  they  had  finished  he  and 
his  men  would  take  the  opportunity  of  refreshing  them- 
selves. His  involuntary  hosts  at  once  rose  and  proceeded 
to  supply  him  with  all  that  he  desired,  whereupon,  as  a 
proof  of  his  gratitude,  he  promised  them  his  protection,  and 
assured  them  that  if  they  should  happen  to  be  travelling 
and  to  fall  in  with  any  of  his  band,  they  might  rely  on  not 
being  molested  by  them.  At  last,  either  tiring  of  his 
adventurous  life,  or  being  hard-pressed,  he  gave  himself  up 
to  the  Turkish  authorities,  upon  their  promise  that  he  should 
be  exiled  to  Cyprus.  He  was  taken  to  Constantinople, 
and  would  probably,  have  been  sent  thence  to  the  spot 
he  had  chosen,  had  not  a Frenchman  connected  with  the 
consulate,  who  had  formerly  been  robbed  by  Kattirdji- 
Janni  and  his  followers,  demanded  that  he  should  be 
severely  punished.  Thereupon  he  was  imprisoned  and 


A PESTILENT  MARSH. 


28 1 

kept  closely  confined  in  a small  cell,  where  he  was  chained 
to  the  wall,  for  seven  years.  Later  on  he  was  removed  to 
Famagousta,  still  heavily  chained  ; and  though  the  severity 
of  his  punishment  was  somewhat  mitigated  in  1875,  owing 
to  the  intercession  of  Madame  Cesnola  on  his  behalf,  it  is 
only  quite  recently  that  he  has  entirely  regained  his  liberty, 
and  even  now  he  is  not  allowed  to  leave  the  town  of  Fama- 
gousta. 

Captain  Bolton  lives  a little  way  off,  at  Varoshia,  a 


Ancient  Guns 


thriving  village,  surrounded  by  orchards  and  gardens — not 
an  over-healthy  place,  I dare  say,  though  the  living  there  is 
cheap  and  good.  The  other  three  gentlemen  live  in  this 
fearful  town  ; and  most  sincerely  I pity  them.  Close  at 
hand  is  an  extensive  marsh,  which  abounds  with  woodcock, 
snipe,  teal,  and  wild  fowl  of  every  description  ; but  the 
story  goes  that  should  any  sportsman  venture  there  to 
shoot,  he  is  certain  to  be  down  with  fever  before  the  birds 
he  has  killed  can  be  cooked.  These  officers  have  not  yet 


288 


VENETIAN  CANNON 


tried  the  experiment  themselves,  but  the  ‘ Foxhound  ’ 
landed  a shooting  party  to-day,  and  I shall  be  anxious  to 
hear  the  result. 

Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  Turks  have  removed 
several  shiploads  of  them,  many  of  the  fine  old  Venetian 
cannon  still  remain  here,  with  tons  of  iron  and  marble 
shot.  We  brought  away  a specimen  of  the  latter,  as  a re- 
membrance of  the  ancient  city  that  has  withstood  so  many 
attacks  from  foreign  invaders,  but  which  is  now  left  to 
moulder  in  silence  and  solitude  in  the  midst  of  malaria. 
If  the  harbour  could  ever  be  restored,  and  the  marshes 
drained,  she  might  once  again  rise  to  comfort  and  pro- 
sperity. 

On  the  way  back  to  the  yacht  we  paid  a visit  to  the 
‘ Foxhound,’  a smart  little  gunboat,  to  see  the  officer  in 
command.  He  gave  me  some  pieces  of  armour  which  had 
formerly  belonged  to  the  old  Knights  of  St.  John,  and  which 
he  had  found  at  Famagousta  a few  months  previously.  By 
6 p.m.  we  were  once  more  on  board  the  * Sunbeam,’  and 
continuing  our  voyage  round  the  island.  The  visit  to  Fama- 
gousta had  depressed  us  all,  and  we  agreed  that  we  had 
never  been  so  affected  by  melancholy  at  the  sight  of  any 
place. 

It  was  a lovely  clear  night,  and  as  our  course  lay  close 
to  the  shore,  the  low  mountains  a short  distance  from  the 
coast  could  plainly  be  distinguished.  The  shape  of  Cyprus 
has  been  compared  by  some  to  the  head  of  a horned 
animal,  and  by  others  to  the  outstretched  fleece  of  a deer. 
Accepting  the  latter  comparison,  we  may  now  be  said  to 
be  sailing  along  by  the  side  of  his  tail,  past  the  town  of 
Karpas.  On  reaching  Cape  Andreas,  the  most  easterly 


COASTING  TO  KYRENIA. 


*»9 

point  of  the  island,  we  shall  turn  to  the  west,  and,  passing 
Capes  Plakoli  and  Mandraleki,  we  ought  to  arrive  at  Ky- 
renia  early  to-morrow  morning,  and  so  keep  our  appoint- 
ment with  Mr.  Herbert  and  other  friends. 

And  each  may  believe  that  now,  as  hansel 
Thereof,  do  Nikosia  and  Famagousta 
Lament  and  rage. 

Mr.  Bingham  does  not  sometimes  get  up  very  early,  and 
the  children,  who  are  always  awake  at  cock-crow,  are  very 
fond  of  the  opportunity  for  a bolstering  match.  One  occurred 
this  morning,  of  which  I enclose  a sketch. 


Get  up,  you  lazy  man!’ 


CHAPTER  VII. 


KYRENIA,  MORFU,  KIKKO,  AND  KARAVASTASIA. 

While  you  in  this  isle  are  biding,  * 

You  shall  feast  without  providing. 

Every  dainty  you  can  think  of, 

Every  wine  which  you  would,  drink  of 
Shall  be  yours  ; all  want  shall  shun  you, 

Ceres’  blessing  so  is  on  you. 

Thursday , November  \\th. — At  daybreak  the  scene  was 
very  pretty.  The  sun,  rising  to  the  eastward  of  the  island, 
right  behind  us,  touched  the  tops  of  the  northern  range  of 
mountains,  and  caused  our  old  friend  Pentadactylon  and 
the  beautiful  ruins  of  Bufifavento  and  St.  Hilarion  to  show 
forth  to  great  advantage. 

About  io  a.m.  we  anchored  off  Kyrenia.  The  water  is 
deep  quite  close  to  the  shore,  but  there  is  no  harbour  except 
for  small  boats.  It  is  really  a lovely  spot.  Scarcely  was 
our  anchor  down,  when  I heard  a cheery  voice  calling  out, 
‘ Welcome  to  Kyrenia,  Mrs.  Brassey  ; I am  so  glad  to  see 
you  again.’  It  was  our  old  friend,  Mr.  Holbech,  of  the 
6oth  Rifles,  who  has  lately  been  appointed  commissioner 
here,  and  who  is  evidently  quite  the  right  man  in  the  right 
place.  He  at  once  took  possession  of  us,  and  carried  us 
off  to  shore.  On  the  landing-place  we  found  Mr.  Herbert, 
and  Captain  M‘Calmont,  of  the  7th  Hussars,  who  had 
returned  from  Constantinople  since  we  left  Nikosia,  and 
had  ridden  down  to  meet  us. 


K Y R E N I i 


CHEAP  MARKETING. 


;9I 


H.M.S.  ‘Humber’  arrived  an  hour  after  we  did,  to 
embark  the  42nd  Regiment,  and  to  take  them  away  this 
evening.  She  has  not  come  an  hour  too  soon,  for  the  men 
look  terribly  white  and  sickly,  and  thirteen  fresh  cases 
of  fever  are  reported  this  morning.  And  yet  it  is  a nice, 
cool,  comfortable  day,  with  a pleasant  little  breeze  blow- 
ing, and  the  place  feels  to  us  as  healthy  as  possible. 

Mr.  Holbech  took  us  to  his  residence,  at  Government 
House,  an  old  Turkish  mansion,  beautifully  situated,  with 
thick  walls  to  keep  out  the  heat  of  summer  and  the  damp 
of  winter.  On  one  side  the  view  extends  over  the  fort  to 
the  bright  blue  sea  beyond,  on  another  over  a large  garden 
planted  with  groves  of  oranges  and  lemons — not  one  or 
two  miserable  little  trees,  but  real  woods  of  them,  now 
laden  with  fruit.  Yet  even  in  this  delightful  spot,  sheltered 
as  they  have  been  from  the  sun,  with  a pleasant  breeze 
always  blowing,  and  with  comparatively  light  duties  to 
perform,  an  average  of  one  out  of  the  three  men  compos- 
ing the  ever-changing  guard  has  been  struck  down  with 
fever  every  other  day  and  carried  away  on  a stretcher. 

As  our  steward  is  still  an  invalid,  I did  the  marketing 
to-day,  and  was  surprised  at  the  cheapness  of  everything. 
I bought  a quantity  of  spinach,  artichokes,  capsicums, 
tomatoes,  onions,  and  grinjals  (a  kind  of  egg-plant),  amply 
sufficient  for  ourselves  and  the  crew  (a  party  of  something 
like  forty),  for  2s.  ! After  this  business  was  transacted,  we 
all  went  to  pay  a visit  to  the  camp  of  the  42nd,  calling  on 
our  way  at  the  Konak,  where  we  were  introduced  to  the 
Kaimakam,  or  chief  of  the  district,  the  Mudir,  or  head  of 
the  village,  and  the  Cadi,  or  judge.  I never  saw  anything 
so  perfect  in  the  shape  of  a camp  before.  It  looked  quite 


292 


CAMP  OF  THE  42 nd. 


like  a little  Paradise.  The  tents  are  now  nearly  all  empty, 
for  most  of  the  huts  have  arrived,  but  they  had  been 
pitched  beneath  large  carob-trees,  which  afford  a really 
thick  shelter  from  the  sun,  and  make  it  unnecessary  for 
the  men  to  remain  altogether  beneath  the  canvas.  The 
officers  of  the  42nd  have  hardly  used  their  mess-tent  at  all, 
but  have  breakfasted  and  lunched  under  the  shade  of  an 
enormous  carob-tree  during  the  whole  of  their  stay  here. 
Two  or  three  little  streets  of  huts  have  already  been  erected  ; 
they  looked  comfortable  beneath  the  shady  trees,  with  a 
stream  of  fresh  sparkling  water  gushing  from  the  rocks 
above,  and  running  close  by.  We  peeped  into  several  huts, 
built  to  contain  ten  men  each,  and  thought  they  seemed 
very  spacious  and  snug.  In  two  of  the  huts  we  saw  two 
men  who  had  just  been  struck  down  with  fever.  These 
attacks  come  on  without  any  apparent  cause,  and  so 
suddenly  that  nobody  feels  safe  for  a single  hour.  The 
order  to  move  was  communicated  to  the  regiment  only  a 
day  or  two  ago,  and  it  was  not  until  this  morning  that  they 
knew  they  were  to  depart  to-day.  It  seems  almost  impos- 
sible that  the  arrangement  can  be  carried  out ; but  the 
confusion  and  bustle  which  have  been  caused  by  the  sud- 
denness of  the  order  can  easily  be  imagined. 

After  purchasing  a nice  fat  sheep  from  the  42nd’s  mess 
for  the  sum  of  13^.,  we  returned  to  the  village,  and  then 
went  on  to  the  fort,  a large  and  strong  structure  in  a very 
dilapidated  condition,  but  supposed  to  be  of  great  antiquity. 
It  is  now  being  repaired,  in  order  to  be  made  use  of  as  a 
barrack,  prison,  magazine,  storehouse,  &c. 

It  was  now  luncheon  time  ; and  a large,  merry,  hungry 
party  we  were.  Afterwards  we  landed  again,  and  rode 


CONVENT  OF  LA  PAIS. 


CONVENT  OF  LA  PAIS. 


29  3 


across  the  fertile  valley,  under  big  carob  and  olive  trees, 
up  to  the  convent  of  La  Pais,  built  by  Hugh  III.,  and  de- 
stroyed by  the  Turks  in  1 570.  Although  all  the  fine  sculp- 
ture and  tracery  of  the  Gothic  cloisters  have  been  defaced, 
enough  still  remains  to  give  one  some  idea  of  what  they  have 
been.  One  room  is  nearly  1 50  feet  long  by  50  wide,  and 
two  stories  high  ; two  others  are  equally  large,  but  not  so 
lofty.  Our  Engineers  had  been  repairing  the  floors,  and 
putting  windows  and  shutters  into  some  of  the  best  apart- 
ments, in  order  that  they  might  be  made  available  for  the 
reception  of  invalids  ; but  after  a trial  it  was  found  that 
the  place  was  of  no  use  as  a hospital.  The  men  became 
worse  there  than  even  in  their  hot  stufify  huts.  It  seems 
altogether  unaccountable  that  a thick  stone  building  like 
this,  surrounded  by  cloisters,  and  with  a comparatively 
equable  temperature,  standing  five  or  six  hundred  feet 
above  the  sea,  with  plenty  of  fresh  air  on  every  side,  should 
be  so  unhealthy.  But  we  have  been  told  that  even  at  a 
height  of  3,000  feet  above  the  sea  level  the  fever  asserts  its 
sway. 

Sir  Garnet  Wolseley  started  yesterday  on  an  expedi- 
tion to  the  Troodos,  to  try  and  find  a sanatorium.  He 
was  to  go  by  way  of  Peristerona  (the  Place  of  Doves)  to 
Lithodonda  (or  Stony  Tooth)  along  the  side  of  Mount 
Adelphi,  5,380  feet  high,  to  Pasha  Learthi  and  the  summit 
of  the  Troodos,  6,590  feet  above  the  sea,  and  thence  via 
Prodromos  to  Kikko,  where  we  hope  to  meet  him. 

We  spent  a long  time  at  the  monastery,  looking  at 
the  fine  church,  now  used  as  a mosque,  the  ruins,  and 
the  beautiful  cloisters.  The  sun  was  setting  before  we 
left,  and  after  the  first  half-hour  our  ride  was  dark  and 


294 


KARAVASTASIA. 


dangerous,  for  the  path  was  rocky,  and  the  branches  of  the 
carob-trees  hung  low.  But  the  zaptieh  knew  the  way  well, 
and  we  reached  the  village  safely  soon  after  6 p.m. 

Ponies  here  are  both  cheap  and  hardy,  surefooted  and 
clever,  but  rather  skittish,  and  always  fighting  with  one 
another.  I never  before  saw  such  quarrelsome  little  beasts. 
They  cost  from  7/.  to  12/.  each. 

I have  been  rather  tired  and  done  up  all  day,  and,  not 
feeling  very  well  this  evening,  am  rather  afraid  about  to- 
morrow’s expedition,  though  I hope  I shall  be  all  right. 

Friday , November  1 5 th. — 


guished  through  a telescope,  some  of  the  party  went  ashore. 
We  followed  in  due  course,  and  found  that  our  little  ex- 
pedition had  attracted  a crowd  of  curious  villagers,  headed 
by  the  Mudir,  who  informed  us  that  he  expected  Sir  Garnet 
Wolseley  to  arrive  here  in  the  course  of  the  afternoon.  The 
people  were,  as  usual,  very  polite,  offering  us  chairs  during 
our  short  detention.,  At  last,  about  10  a.m.,  we  effected 


We  were  off  and  steaming 
along  close  to  the  charming 
coast  soon  after  5 a.m.,  and, 
having  rounded  Cape  Kor- 
makiti,  entered  the  Bay  of 
Morfu,  passed  the  town  of 
the  same  name,  and  anchored 
off  Karavastasia(or  Stopping- 
place  for  Ships)  at  9 a.m.  As 
soon  as  the  interpreter  and 
mules  which  were  to  have  been 
sent  from  the  camp  at  Nikosia 
to  meet  us  could  be  distin- 


A heavy  Load. 


MEETING  SIR  GARNET  WOLSELE Y. 


;95 


a start ; Captain  de  Lancey,  who  could  manage  to  get  only 
a very  small  donkey,  on  which  he  had  great  difficulty  in 
finding  room  for  all  his  miscellaneous  kit,  proceeding  to 
Mathiati,  via  Lefka  and  Tamasos,  while  the  rest  of  the 
party,  consisting  of  Captain  M‘Calmont,  Mr.  Herbert,  Mr. 
Bingham,  Tom,  Mabelle,  and  myself,  with  an  interpreter, 
two  muleteers,  and  two  boys,  were  bound  for  Kikko,  via 
Kampos.  Captain  de  Lancey  had  a long  ride  before  him 
— about  fifty  miles — but  with  a zaptieh  to  lead  the  way,  a 
Turkish  dictionary  in  one  pocket  and  a Greek  dictionary 
in  the  other,  a packet  of  sandwiches,  a pot  of  jam,  and  a 
bottle  of  cold  tea,  he  started  off  as  cheery  as  possible. 

Our  road,  over  the  stony  dusty  plain,  crossing  and  re- 
crossing the  now  dry  bed  of  a river,  was  not  very  interest- 
ing at  first,  and  was  rendered  still  less  agreeable  by  the 
heat  ; but  soon  we  got  into  a valley  among  the  hills,  where 
the  water  began  to  trickle  and  the  forest  trees  to  grow. 
After  rather  more  than  an  hour’s  ride  we  met  Sir  Garnet  and 
his  staff,  on  their  way  down  to  Morfu.  Having  found  a 
place  where  the  path  was  not  quite  so  narrow,  we  all  dis- 
mounted, and  had  a long  chat  and  drank  claret  and  soda- 
water  in  the  shade.  Sir  Garnet  seems  to  have  been  well 
pleased  with  his  ride  and  with  the  country  he  passed 
through,  though  he  had  come  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
forests  and  the  game  with  which  it  was  said  to  abound 
were  alike  a myth.  There  are  fine  trees,  but  they  are  few 
and  far  between,  and  in  no  place  do  they  grow  close 
enough  together  to  form  a real  forest,  or  anything  more 
than  occasional  patches.  As  for  the  game,  I believe  that 
there  is  hardly  any  in  the  island.  The  best  bag  I have 
heard  of  was  six  brace  of  partridges  to  two  guns,  after  a 


296 


ICE  ON  THE  HILLS. 


hard  day’s  work.  There  is  very  little  cover,  the  birds  are 
all  redlegs,  and  they  run  for  miles.  In  the  mountains 
hares  are  still  to  be  met  with,  but  we  saw  only  two  all  the 
time  we  were  on  the  island.  It  has  also  been  said  that 
horses  and  ponies,  bulls  and  cows,  descended  from  those 
let  loose  by  the  Venetians  in  the  olden  time,  are  still  seen 
in  the  interior  ; but  all  enquiries  on  the  subject  have  con- 
vinced us  that  they  are  now  quite  extinct. 

Sir  Garnet  told  us  that  the  air  was  delightful  early  this 
morning  up  among  the  hills — bright,  clear,  and  bracing, 
with  ice  half  an  inch  thick  on  the  ground  in  some  places. 
It  sounded  very  delightful  to  us  after  our  hot  ride  in  the 
sun,  but  by  no  means  improbable,  as  even  where  we  were 
the  air  in  the  shade  was  tolerably  cool,  and  it  was  necessary 
to  be  careful  to  avoid  getting  a chill. 

Having  rested  and  refreshed  ourselves,  we  proceeded  on 
our  respective  ways,  Sir  Garnet  Wolseley  to  Lefka  and 
Karavastasia  (where  he  intended  to  pay  a visit  to  the  yacht), 
and  thence,  by  way  of  the  convent  of  Xeropotamos,  to 
Nikosia,  while  we  continued  our  course  through  the  valley, 
climbing  gradually  higher  and  higher  up  the  mountain  side. 
In  another  hour  we  met  Sir  Garnet’s  train  of  baggage- 
mules,  tents,  &c.,  and  half  an  hour  later  we  thought  we 
were  entitled  to  another  rest,  in  a delightful,  cool,  shady 
spot,  under  some  Scotch  firs,  with  fragrant  herbs  growing 
at  their  feet.  Our  path  increased  in  beauty  at  every  step, 
running  by  the  side  of  a brawling  stream.  Wherever 
there  was  a little  more  space,  the  way  was  shadowed  by 
magnificent  plane-trees,  spreading  their  branches  far  and 
wide,  while  delicate  little  cyclamens  poked  their  tiny  heads 
through  the  stones  beneath.  We  passed  the  village  of 


MEETING  SIR  GARNET  WOLSELEY 


VENUS  DISCREDITED. 


297 


Kampos,  where  we  saw  the  operation  of  making  ‘ mastic,’  a 
much-prized  liqueur,  the  best  of  which  comes  from  the 
island  of  Chios.  A large  wood  fire  had  been  lighted  be- 
neath some  spreading  plane-trees,  and  on  stones  placed 
above  it  stood  a huge  iron  cauldron,  filled  with  refuse  skins 
and  stalks  of  grapes,  which  were  in  course  of  distillation. 
The  spirit  produced  is  flavoured  with  gum-mastic,  brought 
from  the  other  islands,  and  makes  a wholesome  but  medi- 
cinal-tasting liqueur.  The  wife  of  the  head  man  of  the 
village  came  out  and  sprinkled  us  with  rose-water,  and  a 
large  crowd  assembled  to  observe  us  when  the  mules’ 
bridles  were  taken  off  to  let  them  enjoy  a drink  at  the  cold, 
clear,  crystal  fountain  gushing  out  of  the  rock. 

We  were  now  fairly,  not  among,  but  on  the  mountains, 
and  a steep  rocky  road  (a  water-course,  I suppose,  in 
winter,  but  now  almost  like  an  English  lane)  led  upwards 
to  the  village  of  Izachastra  (or  Coquette).  Here  again  we 
were  sprinkled  with  rose-water.  Venus  certainly  has  not 
left  behind  her  much  of  her  beauty  as  a legacy  to  this  her 
favourite  isle.  The  women  have  almost  all  good  eyes  and 
features,  but  bad  complexions,  teeth,  and  figures.  Those 
in  the  towns  never  stir  out  of  doors,  and  look  white  arid 
delicate  ; those  living  in  the  country  are  burnt  brown  as 
berries  by  constant  exposure  to  che  sun  while  working  in 
the  fields.  They  all  have  a slovenly  gait,  and  look  as  if 
they  were  tumbling  to  pieces.  Their  clothes  are  generally 
dirty  and  of  dingy  colours,  so  that  the  effect  is  not  even 
picturesque. 

Soon  after  leaving  Izachastra,  we  came  out  on  the  neck 
of  the  ridge,  and  had  a beautiful  view  on  either  side.  The 
landscape  changed  at  every  step,  and  the  sea  at  every  point 


298 


RECEPTION  AT  THE  CONVENT. 


of  the  island  was  from  time  to  time  visible,  as  we  rounded 
peak  after  peak,  covered  with  straggling  pines. 

There  is  not  much  twilight  here,  and  it  soon  became 
dark,  when  we  had  to  trust  to  our  mules  to  find  their 
way  to  the  convent.  Notwithstanding  our  faith  in  their 
powers,  however,  we  were  all  glad  when  we  saw  the 
hospitable  lights  shining  through  the  trees.  We  first 
alighted  at  the  back  door,  much  to  the  horror  of  the  subor- 
dinate priests,  who  came  out  and  showed  us  the  way  to  the 
proper  entrance,  to  which  we  scrambled  round  as  best  we 
could.  Here  more  priests  met  us  and  led  us  across  the 
courtyard,  up  staircases  and  along  passages,  to  a little  room 
with  a beautifully  carved  cedar-wood  ceiling.  The  head 
priest,  accompanied  by  his  attendants,  paid  us  a visit  here, 
and  said  that  as  we  had  not  arrived  before  sunset  they  had 
quite  given  us  up,  and  dinner  could  not  now  be  served  in 
less  than  an  hour  and  a half.  This  was  rather  a blow,  for 
we  had  not  lunched  at  all  substantially  ; but  kindly  they 
at  once  proposed  that  we  should  have  a little  luncheon 
now,  it  being  past  6 p.m.,  and  promptly  produced  the  usual 
uneatable  sweetmeats,  water,  and  coffee,  and  then  bread, 
grapes,  cheese,  mastic,  and  Cyprus  wine.  About  twelve 
monks  waited  on  us,  watching  with  great  earnestness  for 
the  slightest  indication  of  our  wishes,  though  they  did  not 
know  a word  of  our  language,  nor  we  one  of  theirs. 

Mabelle’s  and  my  bed-room  was  a small  vaulted  chamber, 
with  walls  four  feet  thick,  grated  windows,  and  a silver  lamp 
suspended  from  the  roof.  The  furniture  consisted  of  two 
large  divans,  covered  with  Turkey  rugs,  and  eight  chairs, 
arranged  in  two  rows  against  the  wall — absolutely  nothing 
else.  When  we  expressed  a wish  to  wash  our  hands,  one 


MONKISH  HOSPITALITY, . 


299 


monk  appeared  with  a tin  wash-hand  basin,  another  with 
soap,  a third  with  a towel,  while  a fourth  held  a candle.  It 
was  with  great  difficulty  that  I persuaded  them  to  leave  the 
things  for  us  to  perform  our  ablutions.  They  politely  in- 
sisted on  holding  the  basin  till  we  had  dipped  our  faces  and 
hands  in  it,  and  then  merely  waited  outside  the  door  till  we 
had  completed  our  toilette. 


Kind  Attentions. 


Saturday,  November  \6th. — We  were  up  very  early,  and 
after  a partial  toilette  Tom,  Mabelle,  and  I went  out  for  a 
walk,  to  enjoy  the  beautiful  lights  and  shades  of  the  early 
morning  on  the  mountains.  But  the  Archimandrite,  who 
had.  come  up  from  Nikosia  on  purpose  to  receive  the 
Governor  and  ourselves,  was . before  us,  even  though  he 


3°° 


WINE-MAKING. 


had  been  suffering  from  fever  the  previous  evening.  He 
met  us  as  we  were  going  out,  and  was  full  of  regrets  that, 
owing  to  our  late  arrival  last  night,  our  reception  had  been 
of  so  informal  a character.  Had  the  rules  of  his  order 
not  forbidden  his  being  out  after  sunset,  he  would  have 
met  us  part  of  the  way  down  the  mountain,  and  would 
have  taken  us  into  a church  and  blessed  us  before  we 
entered  the  convent,  and  rung  peals  of  bells  in  our  honour. 
I am  not  sure  that  we  were  sorry  to  have  missed  all  these 
attentions,  kindly  meant  as  they  were. 

We  climbed  up  a little  hill  above  the  convent,  from  the 
summit  of  which  stretches  a fine  view  over  the  whole  length 
and  breadth  of  the  Troodos,  and  Mounts  Adelphi  and 
Olympus.  It  was  rather  like  looking  at  one  of  the  raised 
model  maps  one  sometimes  sees,  so  numerous  were  the 
spurs  of  the  mountain,  stretching  in  every  direction,  and 
so  endless  the  ramifications  of  the  valleys.  Below  us  were 
vineyards,  now  all  dry  and  barren,  for  the  grapes  have  long 
since  been  gathered.  We  looked  over  the  farm  buildings 
attached  to  the  convent,  and  saw  through  the  windows  the 
large  jars  of  wine,  and  the  stone  press  in  which  the  grapes, 
ripe  and  unripe,  sound  and  rotten,  stalks  and  leaves,  are 
all  crushed  together  under  the  feet  of  the  peasants.  It  is 
a rough  process,  but  the  place  seemed  cleaner  than  many 
others  I have  seen,  where  the  wine  has  been  kept  in  a room 
or  storehouse,  together  with  all  sorts  of  nastiness. 

We  returned  to  the  convent  at  8 a.m.  to  breakfast,  after 
which  the  Archimandrite  again  paid  us  a visit,  to  conduct 
us  to  the  church.  It  is  a fine  building,  much  like  that  at 
the  Nikosia  convent,  containing  an  altar  screen  ornamented 
with  Byzantine  pictures,  some  handsome  books  and  candle- 


THE  ARCHIMANDRITE. 


3°  i 

sticks,  and  the  same  funny  little  gilt  lantern-like  pulpit, 
with  its  shifting  ladder.  There  is  a portrait  of  the  Virgin 
Mary,  said  to  be  by  St.  Luke  ; at  all  events  it  bears  his 
name.  They  showed  us  his  signature,  which  is  all  anyone 
is  allowed  to  see,  except  on  one  particular  day  in  the  year, 
when  thousands  of  people  flock  to  his  shrine. 

From  the  church  we  went  to  the  Archimandrite’s  pri- 
vate apartments,  and  were  entertained  with  sweetmeats, 
cold  water,  and  coffee.  He  seemed  very  ill,  poor  old  man 
(he  is  nearly  eighty),  and  could  hardly  stand,  but  insisted 
on  showing  us  round  the  place,  leaning  on  his  staff,  or  sup- 
ported by  two  of  his  attendant  priests.  He  took  us  to  the 
library,  which  contains  some  choice  editions  of  the  old 
Fathers  and  of  the  classics,  and  afterwards  passed  through 
many  passages  and  quaint  cloisters.  We  were  shown  the 
piece  of  wood  which  used  to  be  struck  as  a summons  to 
prayer  when  bells  were  prohibited  by  the  Turks,  and  the 
piece  of  bronze  which  was  afterwards  allowed  as  a substitute 
as  a special  mark  of  favour.  Finally  the  splendid  peal  of 
bells  from  Moscow,  presented  by  a Russian  family,  were 
rung,  in  order  that  we  might  hear  their  several  tones.1 

The  Archimandrite  expressed  a wish  to  accompany  us 
to  Lefka  or  Karavastasia  ; but  as  the  state  of  his  health 
rendered  this  absolutely  impossible,  he  sent  his  private 
secretary,  who  carried  a gun,  rode  a good  mule,  and  spoke 
a few — a very  few  words  of  English.  While  waiting  for 
the  mules  to  be  loaded  and  saddled,  I had  a chat  with 
two  Englishmen  who  are  staying  here,  but  had  only  just 
made  their  appearance,  and  who  are  collecting  specimens 
of  natural  history  for  Lord  Lilford.  They  do  not  seem 

1 See  Note  B,  Appendix. 


302 


LORD  LILFORD’S  COLLECTION. 


to  think  much  of  the  country  as  a collecting  ground,  or 
to  have  made  much  progress  in  their  undertaking.  I was 
interested  in  seeing  some  of  their  specimens,  which  in- 
cluded two  francolins,  handsome  birds,  rather  bigger  than 
a partridge,  and  very  like  the  African  painted  quail  ; two 
mouflons,  a species  of  sheep  with  a skin  like  a deer,  and 
horns  like  those  of  an  ibex,  but  coarse  and  abbreviated  ; 
a real  asp,  such  as  that  by  which  Cleopatra,  it  is  said, 
allowed  herself  to  be  killed  ; a chameleon,  and  some  war- 
blers, believed  to  be  unknown  to  naturalists. 

We  had  a choice  of  several  routes  by  which  to  return 
to  the  yacht.  From  the  Kikko  Monastery  there  is  a road 
across  the  mountains,  leading,  after  an  eight  hours’  ride, 
to  another  monastery,  whence  the  road  runs  through  de- 
lightful groves  of  oleander  and  myrtle  to  Ktima  and 
Paphos.  Or  we  could  have  gone  to  the  top  of  the 
Troodos,  and  thence  down  to  Lefka  and  Karavastasia,  a 
ten  hours’  ride,  exclusive  of  halts.  But  as  Tom  was  afraid 
that  either  of  these  plans  would  be  too  fatiguing  for  me, 
we  decided  to  retrace  our  steps  by  the  way  we  had  come. 

Halfway  down,  a halt  was  called  under  the  shade  of 
some  widespreading  plane-trees,  near  a stream,  in  a valley 
whose  name  was  Chaos,  and  a couple  of  hours  passed  very 
agreeably  in  chatting  and  resting  and  collecting  roots  of 
the  lovely  mauve  cyclamens  with  which  the  valley  is 
carpeted.  Captain  M‘Calmont  related  to  us  some  of  his 
adventures  last  autumn  with  the  Turkish  army  in  Asia 
Minor,  where  he  was  for  several  weeks,  and  where  he  had 
a narrow  escape  of  being  taken  prisoner  by  the  Russians, 
when  the  Turkish  rear-guard  were  cut  off  as  they  were 
entering  Erzeroum.  He  has  only  just  left  Constantinople, 


THE  MONK’S  DISAPPOINTMENT. 


303 


and  seems  to  think  we  shall  find  our  proposed  visit  there 
most  interesting  just  now.  The  remainder  of  the  journey 
to  the  sea-shore  at  Karavastasia  was  completed  more 
quickly  and  agreeably  than  could  have  been  expected  from 
our  previous  experience,  the  temperature  being  irnich  cooler, 
and  therefore  less  exhausting.  The  shadows  looked  long 
as  we  left  the  narrow  valleys  and  emerged  on  to  the  thirsty 
stony  plain,  and  by  the  time  we  had  commenced  the  descent 
of  the  last  hill,  leading  to  the  shore,  and  caught  sight  of  the 
‘ Sunbeam  ’ lying  at  anchor,  and  of  the  boat  putting  off 
from  her  to  fetch  us,  darkness  was  fast  approaching.  Our 
monkish  friend,  the  Archimandrites  secretary,  had  been 
anxious  to  go  on  board  the  yacht  with  us,  and  we  should 
much  have  liked  him  to  see  what  I am  sure  would  have 
both  pleased  and  astonished  him  after  his  fifteen  years’ 
residence  in  the  convents  of  Cyprus ; but  unfortunately 
the  sun  had  set  before  we  reached  Karavastasia,  and  he 
was  constrained  to  go  on  to  the  convent  of  Xeropotamos, 
accompanied  by  the  interpreter.  Captain  M‘Calmont  and 
Mr.  Herbert  went  on  board  with  us  to  dinner  before 
going  on  to  Xeropotamos,  where  they  also  are  to  pass  the 
night. 

The  doctor,  children,  servants,  and  crew  seem  to  have 
thoroughly  enjoyed  themselves  during  our  absence,  and 
were  almost  sorry  to  see  us  back  again,  as  it  involved 
sailing  to-night,  instead  of  not  until  Monday,  as  they  had 
hoped  would  be  the  case.  Yesterday  Sir  Garnet  Wolseley 
and  staff  lunched  on  board.  The  doctor  and  John  Walford 
went  out  shooting,  and  killed  one  woodcock  and  some 
pigeons.  To-day  a whole  party  of  them  went  on  an 
expedition  to  Lefka  on  donkeys,  taking  with  them  some 


304 


THE  MUDIR  OF  LEFKA. 


cold  provisions.  The  Mudir  found  them  out,  took  them 
into  his  house,  entertained  them  with  sweetmeats,  bread, 
coffee,  and  fruit,  got  up  some  native  dancing  and  music  for 
them,  and  finally  sent  them  home  laden  with  fruit  and 
other  good  things — all  this,  too,  without  their  having  been 
able  to  speak  or  to  understand  a word  of  each  other’s  lan- 
guage. I never  saw  the  children  in  such  exuberant  spirits 
about  anything,  and  they  were  wild  to  repeat  their  visit  to 
the  kind  Mudir  to-morrow,  instead  of  going  to  sea  to-night. 

At  8 p.m.  we  parted  from  our  friends  ; in  half  an  hour 
the  boat  that  took  them  ashore  had  returned,  steam  was 
up,  the  anchor  was  hove  short,  and  we  soon  afterwards 
bade  farewell  to  Cyprus,  where  the  last  ten  days  have  been 
so,  agreeably  spent. 

The  doctor  reports  that  the  whole  ship’s  company  are  a 
great  deal  better  for  their  stay  at  Cyprus,  and  no  one  on 
board  has  had  the  slightest  touch  of  fever,  I am  thankful 
to  say.  There  were  several  false  alarms,  however ; for 
whenever  anybody’s  little  finger  ached  he  went  with  a long 
face  to  the  doctor,  who  carefully  took  the  temperature  and 
diagnosed  each  case,  so  as  to  be  able  to  express  a confident 
opinion  about  it.  The  general  result  seems  to  be  that  the 
climate  has  agreed  with  us  all,  though  we  have  led  very 
different  lives,  some  remaining  altogether  on  board,  some 
landing  only  at  the  ports  and  on  the  sea  coast,  and  some 
travelling  inland,  exposed  to  the  full  heat  of  the  sun  and  to 
the  disadvantages  of  irregular  hours  and  meals.  Personally 
I am  much  better  for  my  visit  to  Cyprus.  In  fact,  I never 
felt  really  any  improvement  in  my  health  till  I landed  here, 
and  began  to  ride  about.  The  ‘ Raleigh  ’ attributes  the 
exemption  of  her  crew  from  fever,  both  ashore  and  afloat, 


ANGLO-TURKISH  CONVENTION, . 


305 


to  their  having  been  supplied  with  condensed  water  while 
on  board  and  also  whenever  they  landed.  We  unfortunately 
had  to  fill  up  our  tanks  twice  during  our  stay  in  the  island, 
happily  thus  far  without  any  ill  effects.  The  natives  say 
that  this  has  been  a most  exceptional  year,  and  that  the 
very  dogs  have  died  in  the  streets  from  fever.  It  certainly 
is  extraordinary  that  the  rain,  due  early  in  October,  has 
not  yet  begun  to  fall.  The  long  drought  and  the  continu- 
ance of  the  fierce  heat  of  summer  are  beginning  to  be 
severely  felt.  There  have  been  years  when  no  rain  has 
fallen,  and  when,  to  avoid  starvation,  the  inhabitants  have 
been  shipped  off  in  large  numbers  to  the  opposite  coast, 
the  remainder  being  fed,  or  rather  just  kept  alive,  by  means 
of  the  biscuits  supplied  by  the  Turkish  Government 

The  terms  of  the  Convention  entered  into  by  Great 
Britain  and  Turkey  on  the  subject  of  Cyprus  are  a source 
of  great  difficulty  in  the  effective  administration  of  justice, 
the  sale  and  transfer  of  land,  & c.,  as  no  one  seems  to  know 
precisely  how  long  our  sway  is  to  last,  or  what  are  the 
exact  conditions  of  our  tenure  of  the  place.  Some  people 
seem  to  think  the  sooner  we  give  it  up  the  better,  as  it  is 
not  likely  to  become  anything  more  than  a coaling  station, 
unless  the  climate  greatly  changes.  The  other  day  a great 
scare  was  caused  by  a canard  that  the  Sultan  had  objected 
to  our  flag  being  hoisted  on  the  forts  and  public  build- 
ings, as  he  considered  that  Cyprus  still  belonged  to  him,  and 
that  his  flag  ought  to  be  hoisted  above  ours. 

Cyprus  has  been  successively  ruled  by  the  Phoenicians, 
the  Greeks,  the  Persians,  the  Egyptians,  the  Romans,  the 
Byzantines,  the  Saracens,  the  Franks  (under  the  Lusignans), 
the  Venetians,  and  the  Turks.  She  has  enjoyed  great 


3°6 


FUTURE  OF  CYPRUS. 


distinction,  and  has  suffered  many  troubles  ; and  for  the 
last  three  hundred  years  her  condition  has  been  a sad  one. 
Let  us  hope  that  brighter  prospects  are  opening  before  her ; 
that,  under  our  beneficent  rule,  oppression  may  be  removed, 
the  burdens  of  taxation  lightened,  and  justice  more  evenly 
administered.  Let  us  hope  too  that  she  may  become 
healthier  and  happier  under  her  latest,  and — as  they  ought 
to  prove — her  best  masters,  than  she  has  ever  been  before. 


Prison  at  Rhodes 


Rhodes.  (Miiller.) 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

RHODES,  BESIKA  BAY,  THE  DARDANELLES. 

How  reverend  is  the  face  of  this  tall  pile, 

Whose  ancient  pillars  rear  their  marble  heads. 

To  bear  aloft  its  arch' d and pond'rozis  roof, 

By  its  own  weigh / made  steadfast  and  immoveable, 

Looking  traTiquillity. 

Sunday , November  i Jth. — The  night  was  calm  ; ceased 
steaming  at  8 a.m.,  and  lay  tranquilly  becalmed  all  day. 
Litany  and  hymns — the  latter  conducted  by  Mabelle—  at 
1 1.30  a.m.  ; evening  service  at  4 p.m. 

Monday , November  18th. — Still  a flat,  oily  calm.  Got 
up  steam  at  noon.  The  coast-line  of  the  mountains  of 
Karamania  looked  very  beautiful.  We  kept  at  half-speed — 
6^  knots  an  hour — as  our  coal  is  running  short,  and  it  is 
not  desirable  to  put  in  for  a fresh  supply  before  Constanti- 
nople. The  evening  was  so  warm  and  bright  that  we 


3°8 


RHODES. 


played  cards  on  deck  by  moonlight.  The  atmosphere  felt 
very  different  from  that  of  Cyprus,  but  later  on  a heavy  dew 
began  to  fall. 

Tuesday , November  \gth. — The  island  of  Rhodes  could 
be  made  out  at  the  earliest  dawn,  and  by  8 a.m.  we  had 
dropped  anchor  off  the  town.  As  a homeward-bound 
‘ Messageries  ’ was  just  leaving  the  harbour,  all  letters 
which  happened  to  be  ready  were  hastily  sent  on  board. 
We  had  no  sooner  stopped  than  we  were  surrounded  by 
boats  full  of  all  sorts  of  things  for  sale,  including  fres'h 
bread,  tobacco,  sponges,  inlaid  wooden  clogs,  and  boxes 
made  from  olive-wood  in  the  form  of  little  birds  and  fishes. 
The  inevitable  proveidor  soon  made  his  appearance,  armed 
with  letters  of  recommendation  from  other  yachts,  and 
under  his  guidance  we  started  for  the  shore. 

Rhodes  is  even  now  a picturesque-looking  town  from 
the  sea,  though  its  chief  attraction,  the  palace  of  the  grand 
master  of  the  Order  of  the  Knights  of  St.  John,  was  partly 
destroyed  by  an  earthquake  in  1856,  and  partly  by  an  ex- 
plosion of  gunpowder  which  occurred  later  in  the  same 
year.  The  two  harbours  are  more  or  less  choked  up,  and 
on  the  piers  that  separate  them,  and  all  along  the  water’s 
edge,  are  built  innumerable  windmills  for  grinding  corn. 
Like  Cyprus,  Rhodes  has  had  many  masters,  beginning 
with  the  Phoenicians,  and  ending  with  its  present  rulers, 
the  Turks.  The  capital,  Rhodes,  was  founded  in  408  B.C. 
Strabo  says  that  in  his  time  it  was  the  finest  city  in  the 
world— -finer  even  than  Rome.  The  remains  of  the  cele- 
brated Colossus,  erected  280  B.C.  and  destroyed  by  an 
earthquake  fifty-six  years  later,  lay  for  nearly  a thousand 
years  on  the  spot  where  they  fell  when  the  bronze  was  sold 


ANCIENT  BRONZE  CANNON. 


309 

by  Caliph  Othman  IV.  to  a Jew,  who  carried  away  the 
fragments  on  the  backs  of  nine  hundred  camels.  The  his- 
tory of  the  island  acquires  perhaps  its  greatest  interest  from 
the  time  of  its  presentation  by  the  Emperor  Emmanuel 
to  the  Knights  of  St.  John  of  Jerusalem  (a.D.  1308)  to 
the  time  when,  after  much  suffering  from  the  attacks  of 
the  Turks,  the  knights  were  finally  driven  out,  being 
allowed  to  depart  with  all  the  honours  of  war.  The  Turks 
showed  their  respect  for  the  memory  of  their  gallant 
enemies  by  carefully  preserving  all  the  inscriptions,  carv- 
ings, armorial  bearings,  &c.,  which  they  found  in  the  island. 
The  Christians  have  not  behaved  so  well,  and  all  the  Por- 
tuguese and  Spanish  and  many  of  the  French  and  English 
coats-of-arms  have  been  torn  down,  taken  away,  or  broken. 

The  landing-place  is  not  grand,  and  our  first  steps  on 
shore  took  us  into  a very  dirty  market  and  thence  to  a sort 
of  bazaar,  where  curious  little  wooden  objects,  made  by 
prisoners,  were  exposed  for  sale.  We  rode  along  outside 
the  city  walls  to  the  arsenal,  where  Tom  made  arrangements 
about  supplying  the  yacht  with  water,  whilst  we  looked  at 
some  handsome,  though  broken,  bronze  cannon  lying  on 
the  sea-shore.  They  were  beautifully  carved,  in  high  relief, 
and  ornamented  with  various  armorial  designs  and  bear- 
ings. No  doubt  they  had  belonged  to  the  Knights  of  St. 
John.  Our  guide  informed  us  that  they  had  been  brought 
to  the  shore  by  a French  admiral,  who  had  intended  to 
convey  them  away  in  his  ship,  but  was  abruptly  stopped  by 
the  Turkish  authorities.  The  next  visit  was  to  the  English 
consul,  who  showed  us  some  fine  Rhodian  plates.  His 
son  also  was  kind  enough  to  accompany  us  round  the 
town,  pointing  out  all  the  objects  of  interest.  Under  his 


3io 


STREET  OF  THE  KNIGHTS 


guidance  we  all  went  to  a loft  over  a carpenter’s  shop, 
smelling  deliciously  of  cedar-wood,  where  we  bought  some 
good  specimens  of  plates,  collected  at  various  times  in 
different  parts  of  the  island.  These  plates  have  been  so 
much  bought  up  lately  that  they  are  now  getting  very 
scarce. 

After  passing  through  a Gothic  gateway  into*the  old 


Street  of  the  Knights 


city,  we  walked  up  the  Street  of  the  Knights,  where  all  the 
old  auberges  used  to  stand,  and  where  many  of  the  build- 
ings still  bear  the  coats-of-arms  of  their  former  owners. 
The  street  reminded  us  very  much  of  Malta.  The  Grand 
Hospital  of  the  Knights,  a fine  building,  is  now  used  as  a 
barrack  for  Turkish  and  Egyptian  soldiers.  In  the  cen- 
tral court  were  sixteen  heavily  ironed  prisoners,  who  had 


PRISONERS. 


recently  attempted  to  escape  and  had  been  recaptured.  The 
clanking  of  the  chains  with  which  they  were  laden  had  a 
most  melancholy  sound.  They  carried  a large  iron  girdle 
round  their  waists,  from  which  hung  enormous  chains, 
fastened  to  other  fetters  round  their  ankles,  so  that  they 
could  not  walk  without  holding  them  up  with  both  hands. 
In  many  cases  their  legs  were  rubbed  and  sore,  and  bound 
up  with  dirty  rags.  It  was  just  dinner-time  when  we  ar- 
rived, and  we  were  invited  to  taste  the  soup,  which  we 
found  excellent. 

From  the  hospital  we  were  taken  to  see  the  church  of 
St.  John  and  the  ruins  of  the  palace,  where  some  beautiful 
tombs  and  fine  monuments  still  remain.  Some  members  of 
the  order  in  England  propose,  I believe,  to  found  a museum 
here,  and  to  make  a collection  of  objects  of  interest,  before 
they  are  all  dispersed.  It  was  well  worth  the  climb  to  the 
top  of  the  hill,  over  the  fortifications  and  ramparts,  bristling 
with  cannon  and  piled  with  heaps  of  balls,  to  enjoy  the 
beautiful  view  over  mosques,  minarets,  palm-trees,  and 
orange-groves  below.  After  this  we  went  to  the  prison, 
where  all  the  ordinary  prisoners  were  assembled  in  a large 
courtyard,  some  in  heavy  irons,  but  all  occupying  them- 
selves as  they  liked,  working  for  their  own  profit,  buying 
and  selling,  and  evidently  much  interested  in  the  strangers 
who  had  come  to  see  them. 

Passing  through  another  fort  or  gateway,  and  over  a 
drawbridge  across  a dry  moat,  we  walked  through  many 
streets  to  a clean  little  inn,  where  we  all  felt  that  we  could 
have  spent  a week  very  comfortably.  It  was  a quaintly 
arranged  place,  with  a mosaic  pavement,  kitchen  in  the 
yard,  bed-room  in  a verandah,  everything  where  it  was 


312 


NIKARIA. 


least  expected  to  be,  and  charming  little  peeps  of  scenery 
from  every  corner. 

Everything  had  been  arranged  for  sailing  this  afternoon, 
but  there  was  no  wind,  and  as  Tom  was  not  very  well,  he 
thought  he  would  have  a good  night’s  rest  and  wait  till  the 
morning.  The  evening  was  again  fine,  and  the  differ- 
ence between  the  air  here  and  that  of  Cyprus  was  very 
perceptible.  The  climate  of  Rhodes  is  reputed  to  be  the 

healthiest  in  the  Mediterranean, 
as  it  is  never  either  too  hot  or  too 
cold,  and  it  is  always  free  from 
fever. 

Wednesday , November  20 th. — 
Tom  is  still  unwell.  I went  on 
deck  at  3.30  a.m.  and  again  at 
6.30,  but  it  was  always  a flat 
calm  ; instead,  therefore,  of  getting 
under  way  at  5 a.m.,  it  was  10  a.m. 
before  the  sails  were  hoisted. 
The  slight  sea-breeze  that  was 
then  blowing  soon  died  away, 

' Ma  s .Donkey  Man  ancJ  we  finagy  hac[  to  get  Up 

steam  at  noon,  and  to  steam  all  day  and  night. 

Thursday , November  21  st. — Still  calm.  At  daybreak 
we  were  off  Nikaria.  At  8 a.m.  we  passed  Patmos,  where 
the  cavern  in  which  St.  John  wrote  the  Apocalypse  is  still 
shown.  Nikaria — or  Icaria — is  a large  island,  with  no  good 
harbour,  and  containing  about  eight  thousand  inhabitants. 
It  is  supposed  to  take  its  name  from  Icarus,  the  son  of 
Daedalus,  who,  to  escape  the  wrath  of  Minos,  King  of 
Crete,  is  said  to  have  made  for  himself  and  his  son  wings 


CHIOS. 


3 13 


of  feathers  fastened  by  wax.  Icarus  imprudently  ap- 
proached too  near  the  sun,  the  wax  melted,  and  he  here 
fell  into  the  sea  and  was  drowned. 

At  Lefka  the  doctor  had  shot  a little  owl  and  broken 
its  wing.  The  poor  little  creature  was  then  easily  caught 
and  brought  on  board,  where  the  wing  was  success- 
fully set.  He  would  not  eat  at  first,  but  I coaxed  him 
with  a dead  bird  and  some  bits  of  meat  with  feathers  on, 
until  at  last  he  became  quite  tame.  He  was  a funny 
little  fellow — rather  like  those  that  guard  the  bizcacho 
holes  in  South  America — and  he  had  the  drollest  way  of 
hopping  about,  as  grave  as  a judge,  catching  insects.  To- 
day Mabelle  and  the  doctor  were  playing  with  him  on 
the  steam-chest,  when  suddenly  he  tumbled  down  a hole 
into  the  bunkers,  and  then  ran  along  behind  the  boilers, 
where  he  must,  I fear,  have  been  scalded  to  death.  I am 
sorry  for  the  poor  little  thing,  and  should  have  liked  much 
to  bring  him  home  to  England  as  a curiosity. 

Friday , November  22nd. — A fair  breeze  at  daybreak, 
gradually  freshening.  At  7 a.m.  we  were  off  the  Kaloyera 
Rocks,  with  Chios  and  Ipsara  ahead.  The  wind  had 
increased  almost  to  a gale.  Chios  is  a large  fertile  island, 
among  the  orange  groves  of  which  we  spent  a day  four 
years  ago.  It  was  here  that  the  French  consul,  thinking 
the  * Sunbeam  ’ was  a trading  vessel,  asked  us  to  take 
his  daughter  and  himself  to  Tenos.  Like  almost  all  the 
other  Greek  islands,  Chios  has  a very  ancient  history  ; 
but  the  most  important  and  terrible  of  its  misfortunes 
took  place  in  1822,  when,  having  been  persuaded  by  the 
Samians  to  aid  them  in  a revolt  against  the  Turks,  the 
island  was  invaded,  and  45,000  of  its  inhabitants  were 


3H 


BESIK  A BAY . 


carried  off  as  slaves.  Of  the  remainder,  no  less  than  25,00c 
perished  by  the  sword,  while  15,000  escaped  penniless  to 
other  countries.  At  the  end  of  that  disastrous  year  there 
were  not  two  thousand  Greeks  left  in  the  whole  island. 
The  islet  of  Ipsara,  not  far  from  Chios,  has  also  been  con- 
quered and  cruelly  ravaged  by  the  Turks.  Nothing  is  left 
there  now  to  repay  the  trouble  of  a visit. 

The  wind  kept  fresh  and  fair  as  we  rushed  on,  past 
Mitylene  with  its  three  excellent  land-locked  harbours, 
until  in  due  time  we  found  ourselves  off  the  island  of  Tene- 
dos,  better  known  than  its  intrinsic  importance  deserves 
from  its  standing  so  near  the  entrance  to  the  Dardanelles. 
On  the  eastern  side  it  has  a good  town,  which  was  quite 
brilliantly  lighted,  when  we  passed  it,  late  in  the  afternoon, 
on  our  way  to  anchor  at  Besika  for  the  night.  By  the  time 
we  arrived  it  was  very  dark,  and  somewhat  difficult  to  pick 
up  an  anchorage  ; but  the  bright  lights  of  two  men-of-war 
guided  us  to  a safe  spot.  On  the  shore  close  by  is  the 
place  where  the  kennels  of  the  celebrated  ‘Fleet  Hounds’ 
are  kept  This  pack  forms  an  important  item  among  the 
amusements  of  the  naval  officers  stationed  here,  and  they 
must  have  great  fun,  hunting  foxes  and  hares  with  them. 
They  also  get  up  races,  paper-chases,  and  all  kinds  of  simi- 
lar sports.  There  is  a large  marsh,  too,  in  the  neighbour- 
hood abounding  in  game,  so  that  it  is  really  not  at  all  a 
bad  station  as  far  as  healthy  amusements  on  shore  are 
concerned.  Only  the  ‘Pallas’  and  ‘Research’  are  here 
at  present,  but  the  ‘ Thunderer  ’ is  expected  to  arrive  to- 
morrow on  her  way  up  to  Artaki. 

Saturday , November  23 rd. — Under  way  by  7 a.m.,  but 
with  only  a light  breeze  in  our  favour,  and  with  the  strong 


THE  DARDANELLES . 


3'S 


current  from  the  Dardanelles  to  contend  with,  our  progress 
was  by  no  means  rapid.  The  yacht  lay  quite  still  for  some 
time,  and  then  drifted  slowly  backwards,  till  at  last  I began 
to  think  we  never  should  get  into  the  mouth  of  the  channel, 
for  as  fast  as  we  succeeded  in  getting  her  head  in  the  right 
direction  the  current  caught  it,  and  swung  it  round,  rushing 
through  the  opening  between  the  screw  and  the  rudder, 
and  we  found  ourselves  worse  off  than  ever.  Under  these 
circumstances  it  was  mortifying  to  be  passed,  slowly  but 
steadily,  by  an  old  trading  brig,  bound  the  same  way  as 
ourselves,  but  evidently  better  informed  as  to  the  tricks  of 
the  tide.  At  last,  just  as  we  were  in  despair,  a stronger 
puff  of  wind  came  and  carried  us  over  the  most  difficult 
part  into  a wider  channel  where  the  current  was  less 
powerful.  The  morning  was  bright,  and  the  Dardanelles 
looked  beautiful.  The  gracefully  shaped  hills  along  the 
shore  were  covered  with  trees  or  cultivated  to  the  water’s 
edge.  Curious  old  forts,  tumbling  to  pieces,  but  armed 
with  fine  new  cannon,  mud  villages  with  tiny  minarets,  and 
the  white  tents  of  the  various  camps  pitched  among  the 
trees,  added  to  the  general  picturesqueness  of  the  scene. 
The  air  was  so  calm  and  clear  that  we  could  hear  the 
soldiers  singing  at  their  work,  or  as  they  walked  along  the 
shore,  driving  their  donkeys,  sheep,  or  oxen  before  them 
from  village  to  camp. 

About  3 p.m.  we  reached  the  two  forts,  stationed  one 
on  either  side  of  the  Dardanelles,  and  called  respectively 
Chanak-Kalesi  (or  Earthenware  Castle)  on  the  Asiatic,  and 
Khilid-Bahri  (or  Lock  of  the  Sea)  on  the  European  shore. 
These  forts  are  also  known  to  the  Turks  as  Boghaz- 
hissarlari,  and  to  Europeans  as  the  Castles  of  Roumelia  and 


3 1 6 


A SLIP  IN  THE  DARK . 


Anatolia.  We  landed,  to  procure  the  firman  and  to  get 
our  bill  of  health  properly  visaed.  This  was  quickly  done, 
and  then  a polite  old  Turk  took  us  through  the  town  to 
the  residence  of  the  English  consul.  As  the  ‘ Sunbeam  ’ 
was  hove-to,  waiting  for  us,  we  could  not  stay  long  on 
shore.  The  breeze  freshened,  and  by  9.30  p.m. 
H we  were  anchored  off  Gallipoli. 

On  our  way  thither  we  had  an  accident 
which  might  have  been 
serious,  but  which  ulti- 
mately proved  to  be 
ludicrous.  It  was  a very 
dark  night.  Tom  and 
Kindred  were  both  on 
the  bridge,  trying  to  pick 
up  a good  berth  for  the 
yacht,  when  Tom  sud- 
denly made  a step  back- 
wards just  where  there 
was  no  hand-rail,  turned 
a somersault,  and  dis- 
appeared into  the  abyss 
of  darkness  below.  Kin- 
dred uttered  a piercing 
cry  when  he  saw  his  master  disappear  ; but,  hurrying  to 
his  aid,  we  found  Tom  standing  by  Kindred’s  side  again. 
His  muscles  being  very  strong  just  now  from  much  exercise, 
he  had  managed  to  save  himself  by  clutching  hold  of 
something  with  one  hand  just  as  he  was  turning  head  over 
heels,  and  had  succeeded  in  pulling  himself  up  again. 
The  men  stared  in  astonishment,  which  was  not  diminished 


CTpside  down. 


THE  ‘ temeraire: 


317 


when  Kindred,  to  account,  I suppose,  for  his  shriek,  merely 
said,  ‘ Pick  up  the  governor’s  cigar.’  I heard  much  discus- 
sion going  on,  and  no  doubt  their  heads  were  sorely  puzzled 
till  the  watch  was  relieved  and  the  matter  explained. 

While  we  were  at  Cadiz  a white  pigeon  had  flown  on 
board  and  been  captured.  It  became  a great  favourite 
with  everyone  and  the  pet  of  poor  Bonner,  whom  we  had 
to  leave  behind  so  ill  at  Cyprus.  He  was  always  talking 
and  dreaming  about  it  when  delirious  at  night,  and  when 
he  left  us  I promised  to  take  the  greatest  care  of  the  bird, 
and  to  bring  it  home  safely  to  England  if  possible.  To- 
day the  pigeon  has  disappeared,  having  no  doubt  flown 
overboard,  owing  to  his  wings  having  been  insufficiently 
clipped.  It  is  like  an  ill  omen,  and  makes  me  feel  quite 
nervous  about  receiving  bad  news  at  Constantinople. 

Sunday , November  24 t/i. — Captain  Seymour,  of  the 
‘ Temeraire,’  sent  a message  early  this  morning  to  invite 
us  to  go  to  church  on  board  his  ship  ; but  as  we  had  already 
made  arrangements  to  have  a service  of  our  own,  we 
declined,  and  went  afterwards.  She  is  a splendid  ship,  and 
her  taut  masts  and  light  airy  cabins  contrast  favourably 
with  those  of  the  ugly  but  useful  ironclads.  Lord  Henry 
Thynne’s  son  was  on  board,  much  pleased  to  meet  us 
again  after  our  old  experiences  at  Rio.  Captain  Murray, 
too,  had  just  come  down  from  Constantinople,  where  he 
had  been  staying  at  intervals  with  Sir  Henry  Layard. 
He  had  been  engaged  on  a special  mission  with  reference 
to  the  Roumelian  frontier,  and  was  full  of  interesting  in- 
formation. 

Captain  Seymour  had  borrowed  some  horses  for  us 
from  the  pasha,  and  directly  after  luncheon  we  went  on 


3i8 


LINES  AT  BOULAJR. 


shore  for  a long  ride,  through  the  town  and  on  to  the 
Turkish  lines  towards  Boulair,  which  occupies  an  important 
position  on  a narrow  neck  of  land,  with  a harbour  on  each 
side  of  it  It  is  a large  town  still,  with  well-supplied 
bazaars,  though  its  population  has  fallen  from  85,000,  in 
1875,  to  15,000.  Boulair  was  the  first  place  occupied  by 
the  French  and  English  in  1854,  at  the  beginning  of  the 
Crimean  war,  and  the  fortifications  then  constructed,  after 
being  allowed  to  fall  into  decay,  were  last  year  repaired 
and  strengthened  by  the  Turks,  who  now  hold  them  with 
a force  of  10,000  men,  which  is  said  to  be  insufficient  for 
their  defence. 

Our  way  lay  through  the  town,  which  is  exactly  like 
all  other  Turkish  towns,  and  then  by  a sandy  road  to  the 
beach,  past  the  building  where  the  Stafford  House  Com- 
mittee was  established,  and  on  to  a large  building  still  used 
as  a Turkish  hospital,  though  happily  not  containing  many 
patients  at  the  present  time.  Not  far  from  the  hospital 
was  an  enclosure  with  several  open  graves  and  a party 
of  soldiers  waiting  to  receive  and  inter  the  bodies. 
Sometimes  we  rode  across  the  marshes,  sometimes  along 
the  sea-shore,  till  at  last  we  reached  the  first  line  of  sen- 
tries, and  soon  afterwards  a small  camp  of  Turkish  soldiers, 
who  were  cooking  their  one  daily  meal — a mess  of  flour  and 
water— in  large  tin  dishes.  They  are  a fine  sturdy-looking 
set  of  fellows,  in  spite  of  their  ragged  appearance  and  want 
of  uniformity  of  costume.  Their  food,  we  found,  consisted  of 
a daily  ration  of  flour  and  water,  and  five  pounds  of  meat 
among  eight  men  three  times  a week.  They  have  nothing 
to  drink  but  water,  and  they  have  not  received  a far- 
thing of  pay  for  nineteen  months  ! Last  week  they  were 


TURKISH  SOLDIERS 


31 9 

short  of  provisions,  but  yesterday  a supply  for  twenty 
days  arrived.  They  have  to  trudge  wearily  over  the  coun- 
try to  fetch  water  and  to  seek  fuel,  and  we  saw  several  of 
them,  at  a distance  of  seven  or  eight  miles  from  the  camp, 
cutting  down  the  scanty  brushwood  which  was  to  be  the 
reward  of  their  toil.  They  must  really  be  wonderful  men, 
for,  in  spite  of  all  this  privation  and  hardship,  they  look 
merely  brown  and  weather-beaten,  not  miserable  and  sickly, 
like  our  poor  soldiers  at  Cyprus.  Many  of  them  stood  six 
feet  high,  and  would  weigh  down  and  over-measure  in 
breadth  and  depth  any  one  even  of  our  guardsmen.  Under 
English  officers  no  better  troops  could  be  wished  for,  but 
they  have  little  or  no  confidence  in  their  own  leaders. 
The  Russians  themselves  confess  that  if  Osman  Pasha 
had  pushed  on  after  the  first  victory  at  Plevna  they  would 
have  been  driven  back  beyond  the  Danube  ; and  even 
after  the  fall  of  that  place  the  Turks  might  have  retired 
on  Adrianople,  and  thus  have  saved  the  misery  of  the 
evacuation  and  all  the  horrors  attending  the  flight  of  the 
wretched  peasants. 

We  rode  among  the  soldiers,  and  along  the  huts  they 
were  building  of  mud  and  straw,  with  the  addition  of  a 
little  wood  for  beams  and  doorways.  I should  like  to  see 
how  English  soldiers  would  manage  in  such  a plight,  with 
no  conveyance  for  materials  except  their  own  backs,  or  at 
best  those  of  a few  horses.  During  our  twenty  miles’  ride 
we  continually  met,  and  could  see  with  our  glasses  for 
miles  around,  lines  of  soldiers  slowly  wending  their  way 
over  hill  and  dale,  carrying  firewood,  mud,  bricks,  and 
provisions,  while  their  tiny  ponies  were  quite  hidden 
beneath  the  planks  with  which  they  were  laden. 


320 


THE  LOST  ONE  FOUND. 


It  is  the  universal  custom  in  the  Turkish  army  for  the 
men  to  be  summoned  at  sunrise  and  sunset  to  offer  a 
prayer  for  the  Padishah  or  Sultan  ; it  is  an  impressive  cere- 
mony, and  occurred  this  evening  just  as  we  reached  Fort 
Sultan,  as  the  sun  was  setting.  Such  a ragged  crew  the 
men  looked,  some  even  being  apparently  dressed  in  old 
sacks  ! When  the  bands  struck  up,  and  the  whole  army 
gave  three  hearty  cheers,  it  was  quite  touching  to  hear  the 
shouts  echoing  from  hill  to  hill  and  from  camp  to  camp, 
some  of  the  men  being  perched  on  the  top,  and  some 
hidden  among  the  undulations  of  the  ground. 

Although  we  rode 
quickly  in  order  to 
reach  the  town  before 
dark,  Captain  Sey- 
mour and  I managed 
to  lose  our  way  among 
the  narrow  tortuous 
streets.  Not  a light 
was  to  be  seen,  and  the 
whole  place  seemed 
Bonner’s  Pigeon.  deserted,  except  by 

the  ubiquitous  and  miserable  dogs,  the  inhabitants  having 
no  doubt  gone  to  bed. 

Just  when  the  men  lowered  the  staysail  this  morning, 
Bonner’s  pigeon  stepped  out  from  amid  its  folds,  as  fresh 
and  happy-looking  as  if  nothing  had  happened,  little  know- 
ing the  sorrow  that  had  been  felt  for  his  supposed  loss. 
PI  is  reappearance  gave  great  pleasure  to  all  on  board,  and 
is  considered  by  some  a good  omen  for  Bonner’s  recovery 
and  the  success  of  our  own  voyage. 


TOO  NEAR  THE  SHORE. 


321 


Monday , November  25 t/i. — Off  early  under  canvas,  and 
after  exchanging  parting  flag  salutations  with  the  men-of- 
war,  we  slowly  made  our  way  up  to  the  Sea  of  Marmora. 
Our  large  chart  of  the  Dardanelles  had  been  sent  up  to 
London  for  reference  in  the  spring,  and  had  unfortunately 
been  left  behind.  Tom,  therefore,  has  nothing  to  guide  him 
except  a small  scale  chart ; and  as  this  does  not  show  the 
nature  of  the  shore  or  the  depth  of  the  water,  the  task 
of  beating  up  against  the  wind  has  been  one  of  con- 
siderable difficulty.  Once,  while  he  was  below  for  a few 
minutes,  we  were  so  near  the  shore  that  when  he  came 
on  deck  he  could  not  bear  to  look,  and  really  turned  his 
back,  as  he  feared  every  moment  to  hear  the  grate  and  the 
crash  of  our  contact  with  the  rocks.  Not  long  after  this 
most  unpleasant  little  episode  the  ‘ Thunderer  ’ passed  us, 
steaming  up  to  join  the  fleet  in  Artaki  Bay.  She  looked 
bigger  than  ever  in  her  solitary  grandeur,  more  like  a fort 
than  a ship,  and  as  unlike  the  old  idea  of  a man-of-war 
— ‘a  thing  of  life,’ with ‘canvas  filling  to  the  breeze’ — as 
possible. 

The  progress  throughout  the  day  has  been  slow,  but 
after  dark  the  wind  changed  and  became  dead  fair.  It  was 
annoying  to  have  to  heave-to  for  the  night,  and  thus  to 
lose  the  favourable  breeze  ; but  it  was  impossible  to  see 
anything,  and  Tom  did  not  like  the  idea  of  going  ahead  in 
a strange  land-locked  sea,  where  the  native  and  Greek 
craft  hardly  ever  carry  lights. 

Tuesday , November  2 6th. — We  were  off  again  at  7 a.m., 
and  came  in  for  light  airs  and  calms  all  day.  Tom  was 
anxious  to  go  the  few  miles  (fifteen)  from  Cape  Kum 
Burgas  to  Artaki  Bay  under  sail,  and  our  progress  was 


322 


THE  YACHT  AGROUND. 


vexatiously  slow.  Still  the  day  was  a very  pleasant  one, 
the  weather  throughout  being  delightful.  In  one  tack  the 
yacht  was  allowed  to  go  too  far,  and  as  there  was  not 
enough  wind  to  enable  her  to  come  round  sharply,  she  ran 
hard  aground  on  a low  sandbank  at  the  mouth  of  a river 
on  the  south  shore.  The  officer  of  the  watch,  who  made 
this  mistake,  showed  great  promptitude  in  rectifying  it. 
The  anchor  was  dropped,  boats  were  lowered,  the  kedge 
was  got  out,  and  in  half  an  hour  we  were  afloat  again. 
There  was  a large  marsh  close  by,  where  wild  ducks  and 


‘Sunbeam’  Aground. 


geese  abounded,  and  where  wild  swans  were  to  be  seen  in 
considerable  numbers. 

I dare  say  you  remember  I told  you  that  the  poor  little 
Cyprus  owl  tumbled  into  the  steam-chest  some  days  since. 
Fancy  our  astonishment  and  delight  at  finding  him  to-day 
in  the  screw  tunnel,  where  he  was  discovered  just  as  they 
were  getting  up  steam,  as  black  as  a coal,  as  thin  as  a 
skeleton,  and  covered  with  grease.  Kirkham  was  in  the  act 
of  turning  the  screw  lever,  when  his  hand  came  in  contact 
with  the  little  feathery  mass.  One  second  more,  the  shaft 


THE  BRITISH  FLEET. 


323 


would  have  revolved,  and  he  would  have  been  a dead  owl. 
The  marvel  is  that  he  did  not  die  instantly  when  he  fell, 
and  how  he  got  where  he  was  and  how  he  has  passed 
the  week  must  remain  a mystery.  At  any  rate,  here  he 
is,  ravenously  hungry,  and  as  tame  and  pert  as  ever.  And 
now  I only  hope  that  the  poor  bird  will  not  be  killed  with 
over-kindness  and  stuffing. 

The  weather  continuing  calm,  steam  was  at  last  got 
up.  At  9.30  p.m.  the  ‘Sunbeam’  was  safely  anchored  in 
Artaki  Bay,  in  company  with  the  fleet,  consisting,  at  the 
present  time,  of  the  ‘Alexandra,’  ‘Invincible,’  ‘Monarch,’ 
‘Achilles/  ‘Thunderer,’  ‘ Salamis,’  ‘ Helicon,’  and ‘Cygnet.’ 
The  boarding-officer  from  the  ‘ Invincible’  was  soon  along- 
side, and  not  long  after  him  came  our  old  friend,  Captain 
Tryon,  from  the  ‘Monarch.’  We  had  mutually  much  to 
hear  and  tell,  and  it  was  past  midnight  before  we  separated. 


‘ Why,  here’s  the  Ow]  ! ' 


CHAPTER  IX. 


ARTAKI  BAY,  ENGLISH  FLEET,  AND  CONSTANTINOPLE. 

He  recks  not,  though  proud  glory  s shout  may  be  the  knell  of  death  ; 

The  triumph  won,  without  a sigh  he  yields  his  parting  breath. 

He’s  Britain  s boast,  and  claims  a toast!  ' In  peace,  my  boys,  or  war, 

Here  s to  the  brave  upon  the  wave,  the  gallant  English  tar.' 

Wednesday , November  27th. — The  air  was  very  cold 
early  this  morning,  and,  after  the  recent  hot  weather,  made 
me  feel  far  from  well,  but  as  the  sun  rose  the  temperature 
improved. 

Soon  after  breakfast  Admiral  Hornby  came  on  board 
for  a long  chat.  I was  glad  to  find  that  he  seems  to 
have  been  more  favourably  impressed  with  Cyprus  than 
most  people,  particularly  with  the  capabilities  of  the  har- 
bour of  Famagousta,  to  which  the  first  survey  did  not  do 
justice.  It  appears  from  a careful  examination,  made  sub- 
sequently, that  at  a comparatively  small  expense  the  mole 
might  be  repaired,  and  the  harbour  dredged  and  made 
capable  of  containing  more  ships  than  the  whole  area  of 
the  grand  harbour  at  Malta,  including  Dockyard  Creek  and 
Bighi  Bay.  The  fact  of  the  sailors  having,  as  compared 
with  the  soldiers,  suffered  so  little  from  sickness,  was 
doubtless  owing  to  the  greater  amount  of  care  with  which 
they  were  looked  after,  though  it  is  quite  certain  that  they 
were  much  harder  worked  ; and  this,  perhaps,  was  one 
reason  why  they  kept  in  such  good  health.  From  almost 


HASTY  OCCUPATION  OF  CYPRUS 


325 


everybody  in  the  island  we  heard  that  much  of  the  suffer- 
ing was  due  to  the  attempt  to  effect  an  instantaneous  oc- 
cupation, instead  of  making  a slower  but  surer  arrange- 
ment ; and  this  is,  I fear,  only  too  true.  I believe  it  is  a 
fact  that  the  head  of  the  commissariat  department  at  Malta, 
having  been  asked  how  long  it  would  take  to  ship  and 
send  off  certain  quantities  of  stores  to  Cyprus,  replied  that 
a week  would  be  necessary,  though  the  work  might  possibly 
be  accomplished,  after  a fashion,  in  five  days ; and  that 
the  answer  to  this  was,  ‘It  must  be  done  in  two  days.’  The 
task  was  actually  accomplished  in  three  days,  but  in  such 
a way  that  many  of  the  most  important  stores  could  not 
be  found  again  for  three  months  after  their  arrival,  and 
the  poor  soldiers  consequently  had  to  sleep  on  the  bare 
ground  in  the  most  unhealthy  spots,  there  being  no  means 
available  for  transporting  them  or  their  baggage  to  more 
healthy  localities.  Melancholy  as  this  is  from  one  point  of 
view,  it  is  encouraging  from  another ; for  it  seems  to  imply 
that  with  proper  precautions  the  island  may,  after  all,  not 
be  so  unsuited  to  ordinary  European  constitutions  as  it  has 
hitherto  appeared  to  be.  There  has  been  a talk  of  sending 
some  of  the  poor  wretched  Turkish  refugees  there,  fur- 
nishing them  with  sufficient  money  to  purchase  seeds  and 
tools  to  cultivate  the  land,  or,  better  still,  with  the  articles 
themselves.  It  seems  an  excellent  way  of  providing  for 
the  poor  creatures,  with  their  wives  and  their  families. 
They  are  a steady,  industrious,  hard-working,  but  not  a 
money-making  people.  The  introduction  of  a large  Mus- 
sulman population  into  the  island  would  be  a great  thing, 
especially  if  it  ever  became  a really  permanent  possession 
of  England.  If  the  Greek  element  should  once  prevail,  it 


326 


TURKS  AS  BRITISH  SUBJECTS. 


would  be  a perpetual  thorn  in  our  side,  and  the  end  would 
probably  be  that  we  should  be  requested  to  move  out  when 
we  had  done  everything  possible  in  the  way  of  adminis- 
trative reforms,  the  construction  of  harbours,  railways,  and 
improvements  of  all  kinds,  just  as  in  the  case  of  the  Ionian 
Islands.  The  Turks,  on  the  other  hand,  would  suit  the 
climate  as  well  as  the  natives,  and  would  be  always  con- 
tented with  our  rule.  The  matter  has,  however,  dropped 
through  somehow — I don’t  know  why,  except  that  I believe 
Sir  Garnet  was  afraid  of  having  too  many  women  and 
children  on  the  island,  unable  to  support  themselves. 

Tom  went  back  with  Admiral  Hornby  to  lunch,  and  to 
see  his  ship,  the  ‘ Alexandra,’  which  we  had  visited  several 
times  at  Chatham,  while  she  was  in  course  of  construction, 
but  which  we  had  not  seen  since  the  day  she  was  launched. 

After  luncheon  we  all  went  for  a slow  ride  on  shore,  the 
children  on  donkeys,  we  on  horses.  There  was  quite  a 
collection  of  animals  at  the  landing-place.  The  clever 
Greeks,  as  usual,  have  learned  to  supply  the  demand,  and 
have  scoured  the  surrounding  country  and  villages  in  search 
of  the  means  of  affording  the  British  officer  his  afternoon 
ride.  The  view  from  the  top  of  the  cliff  near  the  little 
landing-place  is  very  pretty,  over  the  British  fleet  at  anchor 
in  Artaki  Bay  on  one  side,  and  the  village  of  Artaki,  on  the 
shores  of  the  Sea  of  Marmora,  on  the  other.  The  whole 
country  is  fertile,  and  the  town  nestles  among  olive  groves 
and  vineyards. 

The  vintage  is  over  now,  but  some  of  the  grapes  are 
still  on  the  vines,  and  are  excellent.  The  olive  harvest  is 
in  full  force,  and  we  saw  man)'  a picturesque  group  as  we 
wandered  about.  Up  the  old  grey-foliaged  trees  boys  and 


VILLAGE  OF  ARTAKI. 


32  7 


men  beat  the  ripe  black  and  the  unripe  green  berries  down 
on  to  the  ground  below,  which  was  covered  with  mats, 
cloths,  and  carpets,  to  receive  them.  Brightly  dressed 
women  and  girls,  with  large  dark  eyes  and  clear  com- 
plexions, were  busily  engaged  in  picking  up  the  berries 
and  filling  the  panniers  of  the  patient  donkeys  ; and  at 
each  entrance  to  the  town  sat  the  tax-gatherers,  with  their 
wooden  troughs,  baskets,  measures,  and  scales.  Very  sad 
and  rather  sulky  some  of  the  poor  people  looked,  as  a 
‘ dime/  or  tenth,  of  their  freshly  gathered  produce  was 
taken  from  them,  and  put  into  the  great  wooden  troughs 
on  the  ground. 

After  riding  some  distance  along  the  sea-shore,  we  re- 
turned through  the  town,  which  is  rather  large,  with  streets 
cleaner  than  might  be  expected.  Some  pretty  Greek  girls 
sat  embroidering  at  the  doors  of  their  houses  ; but  the  streets 
were  remarkable  chiefly  for  a great  many  grog-shops,  kept 
by  the  followers  of  the  fleet,  and  for  innumerable  cocks  and 
hens,  as  well  as  numbers  of  lavender- coloured  cats.  The  best 
public-house  in  the  place  is  called  ‘ The  Duke  of  Wellington/ 
and  is  kept  by  an  Italian  gentleman  with  quite  a romantic 
history.  He  was  a clerk  in  a bank  at  Liverpool,  ran  away 
with  a pretty  milliner,  was  dismissed  from  his  employment, 
and  left  penniless.  They  have  followed  the  fleet  about, 
turning  their  hands  to  anything,  and  are  making  quite  a 
little  fortune.  As  soon  as  they  have  accumulated  capital 
enough  they  intend  to  set  up  at  home  in  a more  comfortable 
and  less  vagrant  way  of  life,  though  not  a more  respectable 
one,  for  everyone  who  knows  them  likes  them  and  speaks 
well  of  them.  They  did  a great  stroke  of  business  the 
other  day,  when  all  the  other  houses  in  the  town  were  shut 


328 


ADMIRAL  HORNETS  FLAGSHIP. 


lip  by  order  of  the  Kaimakam  for  a fortnight,  as  a punish- 
ment for  selling  bad  spirits,  and  they  had  the  sole  monopoly 
of  the  trade.  The  wife,  who  is  really  very  nice-looking, 
has  a pony  and  side-saddle,  which  she  has  kindly  lent  me 
for  use  during  our  stay  here. 

We  dined  with  the  admiral  on  board  his  flagship,  the 
‘Alexandra/  where  we  met  several  friends,  and  enjoyed 
listening  to  a charming  selection  of  music  played  by  an 
excellent  band.  Afterwards  we  had  much  interesting  con- 
versation about  the  events  that  have  taken  place  in  these 
parts  lately.  The  description  of  the  passage  of  the  fleet 
through  the  Dardanelles  in  a dense  fog  lart  February  was 
specially  exciting — everything  ready  for  action,  and  no  one 
knowing  when  the  first  shot  might  be  fired.  The  three 
fruitless  expeditions  to  the  Dardanelles,  when  the  fleet  was 
recalled  by  telegram  each  time  as  soon  as  it  arrived,  were 
so  disheartening,  that  the  officers  quite  feared  the  effect  on 
the  seamen,  who  were  inclined  to  think  they  were  being 
made  fools  of. 

Thursday , November  2 8th. — Another  cold,  bright  morn- 
ing. The  children  went  for  a donkey  ride  on  shore.  A 
crowd  had  assembled  to  see  them,  and  it  was  a great  busi- 
ness to  get  them  off.  The  admiral’s  steward  had  procured 
one  beautiful  white  donkey,  with  a scarlet  velvet  saddle- 
cloth. Of  course  both  little  ones  wanted  to  ride  him  ; but  as 
he  was  said  to  be  very  spirited,  he  was  ultimately  given  up 
to  Emma,  the  nurse,  in  consideration  of  her  greater  strength 
and  heavier  weight.  Mr.  Bingham  and  the  doctor  went 
off  shooting,  Tom  went  with  Captain  Tryon  to  see  some 
of  the  ships,  whilst  I remained  on  board  and  received  visits 
from  all  the  captains  and  officers  of  the  ships  whom  we  had 


CYZICUS. 


329 


known  before.  Yesterday  most  of  them  had  been  detained 
by  a court-martial  on  board  the  ‘ Monarch.’ 

Admiral  Hornby  came  to  luncheon,  and  afterwards  took 
us  for  a delightful  ride  to  Cyzicus.  We  had  sent  on  the 
horses  and  an  interpreter  some  three  miles  along  the  shore, 
so  that  we  landed  at  quite  a different  spot  from  yesterday’s 
landing-place.  There  was  some  doubt  about  the  safety  of 
the  road,  and  the  Turkish  governor  had  sent  out  two 
detachments  of  zaptiehs,  to  meet  us  at  intervals  ; but  there 
were  so  many  English  officers  about,  that  I do  not  think 
we  ran  much  risk.  Some  were  shooting  in  parties  of  two 
and  three,  while  many  were  on  horseback,  surveying  and 
marking  out  the  ground,  and  making  the  jumps  for  the 
steeple-chases  on  Monday  next.  There  are  to  be  athletic 
sports  and  two  steeple-chases,  one  for  the  officers  and  one 
for  the  men.  The  road  wound  through  brushwood  and 
vineyards,  olive  groves  and  plantations  of  small  trees,  until 
at  the  end  of  about  five  miles  we  came  to  a river.  This 
had  to  be  crossed  and  recrossed  many  times  in  climbing  up 
the  valley  to  the  ruins  of  the  ancient  amphitheatre  of 
Cyzicus.  The  amphitheatre  is  beautifully  situated,  and  is 
one  of  the  very  few  where  the  ancients  could  have  held 
really  large  naumcichice , or  mimic  naval  battles  between  gal- 
leys of  war.  The  valley  used  to  be  dammed  up,  as  the 
ruins  of  the  vast  dam  still  show,  and  these  aquatic  combats 
took  place  on  the  water  that  was  allowed  to  accumulate. 
The  scale  on  which  they  were  organised  may  be  imagined 
when  one  hears  that  in  the  time  of  Claudius  no  less  than 
19,000  persons  took  part  in  one  of  these  representations, 
the  combatants  being  gladiators,  criminals,  and  slaves. 

Cyzicus,  in  the  days  of  Alexander,  was  one  of  the  most 


330 


DISCOMFITED  SPORTSMEN. 


important  cities  of  Asia  Minor.  It  was  besieged  by  Mithri- 
dates,  but  resisted  his  attack  successfully,  and  prospered 
under  the  Roman  rule.  The  ruins  of  the  Roman  amphi- 
theatre, the  theatre,  the  temple,  and  various  other  buddings 
may  still  be  traced  Tor  miles  among  the  vineyards  and 
olive  groves. 

It  was  very  cold,  in  fact  a clear,  bright,  frosty  evening, 
by  the  time  v/e  got  on  board  again.  The  doctor  and  Mr. 
Bingham  returned  from  their  sporting  expedition  soon  after, 

with  an  empty  bag, 
not  having  even  seen 
a bird.  They  had  no 
dog,  and  did  not  know 
the  right  way  to  go. 
Some  of  the  officers 
here  manage  to  get 
very  fair,  though  not 
wonderful,  sport  ; but 
this  cold  weather  and 
the  bright  nights  will 

Lunch,  with  a Turk.  . . . 

soon  drive  the  wood- 
cock down  and  make  them  abundant  everywhere. 

Friday , November  29 th. — A clear,  cold,  frosty  morning, 
with  a sharp  wind  and  a bright  sun — -just  the  weather  I 
hate,  for  it  always  makes  me  feel  cross  and  ill.  The  doctor 
and  Mr.  Bingham  went  off  to  Cyzicus,  where  the  latter 
wanted  to  make  a sketch.  They  spent  a very  pleasant  day. 
Mr.  Bingham  succeeded  in  making  a pretty  sketch,  and  they 
had  luncheon  with  a civil  old  Turk,  off  bread  and  figs,  by 
the  side  of  a running  stream  full  of  watercresses.  Mabelle 
went  ashore  to  collect  green  stuff  for  the  table,  flowers 


NAUMACHIA  AT  CYZICUS 


SCULPTURE  FOR  BALLAST 


33r 


being  an  impossibility.  The  arbutus  bushes  here  cover  the 
hills,  and  are  a mass  of  scarlet  and  orange  berries,  not  only 
well  suited  for  table  decoration,  but  sweet  and  pleasant  to 
eat.  There  is  also  a good  deal  of  terebinth  and  myrtle,  be- 
sides other  flowering  shrubs. 

Later  on,  I took  the  children  ashore  to  a spot  where 
their  donkeys  were  to  meet  them,  which  turned  out  to  be 
close  to  the  corral  into  which  all  the  cattle  are  driven  as  they 
arrive  from  the  surrounding  country  ; and,  what  was  worse, 
just  by  the  slaughter-house  where  they  are  killed  for  the  use 
of  the  fleet.  Another  large  white  donkey  had  been  sent 
for  the  children’s  use  to-day,  and  as  it  had  come  from  a 
place  fifteen  or  sixteen  miles  distant,  the  poor  beast  arrived 
laden  with  prayer-carpets  and  saddle-cloths,  embroidered 
on  camels’  hair  at  Kona  and  in  the  interior.  They  were 
very  well  done,  and  I bought  several  specimens.  I also 
discovered  on  the  beach  part  of  a piece  of  statuary,  a draped 
figure,  evidently  belonging  to  the  finest  period  of  Greek  art. 
It  had  been  brought  from  Cyzicus  as  ballast  in  a boat,  and 
pitched  ashore  when  room  was  required  for  the  return  cargo. 

Captain  Lindesay  Brine,  Commanders  Holland  and 
Hammick,  Mr.  Napier,  and  Mr.  Daniel,1  of  the  ‘ Thunderer/ 
came  to  luncheon.  Captain  Fitzroy  would  also  have 
accepted  our  invitation,  but  was  busily  engaged  with  some 
torpedo  experiments.  He  came  afterwards  and  took  us  to 
see  the  explosion  of  some  countermines,  which  were  laid 
down  by  boats  in  a line  for  a distance  of  about  a thousand 
yards,  and  buoyed  with  what  looked  like  red  barrels.  After 
they  had  all  exploded  in  succession,  the  channel  was  sup- 
posed to  be  clear  for  the  passage  of  a large  ship. 

1 Since  unhappily  killed  by  the  explosion  on  board  the  ‘ Thunderer/ 


332 


ATHLETIC  SPORTS. 


Having  announced  our  intention  of  being  ‘ at  home  J 
this  afternoon,  we  had  quite  a large  reception  of  officers, 
in  spite  of  the  fact  that  a good  many  were  engaged  on 
shore  in  completing  the  arrangements  for  their  athletic 
sports.  I should  think,  from  the  programme,  a copy  of 
which  I annex,  that  they  will  be  great  fun,1  and  I only 
wish  we  could  stay  for  them. 

ARTAKI  BAY , 1878. 

There  will  be  Athletic  Sports  on  Monday,  December  2,  the 
anniversary  of  the  Princess  Alexandra’s  birthday,  when  prizes  will 
be  given  by  Vice-Admiral  Sir  Geoffrey  Phipps  Hornby,  K.C.B., 
Captain  Robert  O’B.  FitzRoy,  and  the  officers  of  H.M.S. 

‘ Alexandra.’  The  officers  and  men  of  the  Squadron  are  invited. 
The  ground  will  be  decided  on  later. 


PROGRAMME. 

Prizes 

Races 

First 

Second 

Third 

I. 

Boys 

100  yards 

5/ 

2/6 

— 

2. 

Stokers 

• 250  „ 

10/ 

5/ 

— 

3- 

Petty  and  non-commissioned  officers.  2^0  ,, 

IS/ 

S/ 

2/6 

4- 

Officers 

100  ,, 

One  Prize 

5- 

All  comers 

. 440  „ 

10/ 

5/ 

— 

6. 

Tug  of  war  (15  a side) 

2/6  per  man 

7- 

Hurdle  race  (all  comers) 

120  ,, 

8 flights 

10/ 

5/ 

— 

8. 

Hurdle  race  (officers) 

120  ,, 

8 ,, 

One  Prize 

9- 

Marines 

. 250  „ 

10/ 

5/ 

— 

10. 

Seamen 

100  ,, 

10/ 

S/ 

— 

11. 

Subordinate  officers  . 

• 250  ,, 

One  Prize 

12. 

Long  jump  (all  comers) 

10/ 

5/ 

— ■ 

*3- 

Tug  of  war  (final) 

14. 

One  mile  (all  comers) 

15/ 

5/ 

2/6 

IS- 

One  mile  (officers) 

Two  Prizes 

16.  ‘ Alexandra  Stakes’  for  any  horse.  To  carry  12  stone — over  a fair  hunting 
country.  Distance  1 to  2 miles.  Two  Prizes.  Winner  in  addition  takes 
stakes  of  five  shillings  each.  Articles  32  and  33  of  the  Jockey  Club  Rules. 
To  be  ridden  in  colours. 


The  sports  will  commence  at  11  a.m.  All  entries  to  be  sent 
on  board  the  Flagship  not  later  than  6 p.m.  on  Saturday,  Novem- 
ber 30,  addressed  to  the  Committee. 

N.B.  The  Committee  reserve  to  themselves  the  right  of  any 
alteration  in  the  Programme. 

1 We  afterwards  heard  that  nothing  could  have  been  more  success- 
ful than  the  way  the  sports  went  off,  and  that  everybody  enjoyed  them. 


A TORTOISE  ON  DECK. 


333 


Saturday , November  30 th. — We  got  under  way  and 
under  sail,  with  a light  wind,  about  9.30  a.m.  Soon  the 
wind  came  ahead  and  fell  very  light,  so  that  we  had  to  tack 
pretty  often  and  to  use  great  care  to  avoid  the  island  of 
Pergamos.  Our  progress  was  therefore  slow,  and  we  might 
easily  have  rowed  back  to  lunch  with  Admiral  Hornby, 
as  he  had  asked  us  to  do.  Later  on,  he  passed  us  in  his 
steam-launch,  going  out  to  shoot. 

The  children  had  great  excitement  this  morning  in 
finding  a tortoise  on  board.  I suppose  it  must  have  come 
with  the  vegetables,  as  no  one 
knows  how  it  arrived.1  Tor- 


the  London  streets,  more 

particularly  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  docks. 

Ultimately  we  got  up  steam,  passed  into  the  Sea  of 
Marmora,  between  the  peninsula  of  Kizik  or  Artaki  and 
the  island  of  Liman,  and  held  on  towards  Constantinople. 
The  night  was  beautifully  calm,  and,  to  my  great  comfort, 
considerably  warmer  than  it  has  been  lately. 

Sunday , December  1st. — The  thick  fog  of  the  early 
morning  cleared  off  just  as  we  were  passing  Seraglio  Point, 

1 Many  weeks  afterwards  we  heard  from  Captain  Holland  that  one  of  the 
officers,  after  playing  lawn  tennis,  had  packed  the  tortoise  up  with  the  balls, 
for  a bit  of  fun,  in  order  to  surprise  the  children. 


wedging  up  cargoes  of  barrels 
and  cases  on  board  ship.  I 
believe  that  is  the  explanation 
of  the  barrow-loads  of  tor- 
toises for  sale  to  be  seen  in 


toises  abound  in  these  parts, 
and  are  frequently  used  for 


‘You  are  not  a tennis  ball!' 


334 


ANCHORED  AT  FUNDUKLI. 


and  the  atmosphere  in  the  Golden  Horn  seemed  to  be  par- 
ticularly clear.  I quite  agree  with  those  who  declare  that 
there  is  nothing  finer  in  the  world  than  the  approach  to 
Constantinople,  with  its  numerous  towers  separated  by 
noble  sheets  of  water,  with  the  low  mountains  of  Asia 
Minor  and  the  high  chain  of  the  real  Olympus  as  a back- 
ground to  the  scene.  A man  calling  himself  a pilot,  but 
really  only  a runner  to  a grocer,  boarded  us  ; but  as  it  soon 
appeared  that  he  knew  nothing  about  the  anchorage,  Tom 
took  the  matter  into  his  own  hands,  and  anchored,  as  in 
1874,  at  Fundukli.  During  our  six  weeks’  stay  in  that 
year  we  had  made  several  moves,  to  the  Black  Sea,  Therapia 
and  back,  Broussa  and  back,  &c.,  and  tried  several  anchor- 
ages, and  had  at  last  decided  that  we  liked  this  position 
the  best  We  dropped  anchor  at  about  8 a.m.,  and  were 
quickly  surrounded  by  boats  containing  Jews,  touts,  and 
dragomans,  who  had  known  us  on  the  occasion  of  our  pre- 
vious visit.  Our  old  servant  George,  however,  who  was 
delighted  to  see  us  again,  took  possession  of  us  at  once,  and 
soon  sent  the  rest  away.  We  had  scarcely  finished  break- 
fast before  some  old  friends  arrived  to  welcome  us,  and  to 
insist  on  our  going  on  shore  to  lunch  and  dine  with  them. 
We  accordingly  all  landed  together,  and  forthwith  went  to 
the  Embassy.  Finding  there  was  no  service  there,  we  went 
on  to  the  Memorial  Church,  a fine  building,  erected  to  the 
memory  of  the  English  who  fell  in  the  Crimean  war. 

Our  host  was  good  enough  to  lend  me  a horse  ; Tom, 
Mabelle,  and  Mr.  Bingham  had  k sowajees,’  or  street  horses, 
and  after  luncheon  we  all  went  for  a ride.  The  ‘ sowajees,’  in 
fact,  take  the  place  of  cabs  in  Constantinople,  and  are  really 
the  most  suitable  means  of  conveyance  through  the  steep 


335 


SWEET  WATERS  OF  EUROPE . 


and  badly  paved  streets.  They  may  be  regarded  as  sup- 
plementary to  the  caique.  They  stand  about  for  hire  by 
casual  passers-by,  and  are  very  quiet,  yet  with  plenty  of 
spirit.  We  had  a capital  ride  across  country,  at  a pretty 
good  pace,  as  we  wanted  to  make  the  most  of  our  time. 
First  we  went  to  the  Sweet  Waters  of  Europe,  crowded 
throughout  the  summer  months  with  all  the  Turkish  rank 


and  fashion  of  Stamboul  and  Pera.  Here  the  poor  Sultan 
Abdul  Aziz  used  to  keep  hundreds  of  peacocks  ; but  they 
are  now  all  gone,  and  the  place  has  altogether  a deserted, 
melancholy  look,  enhanced  by  the  falling  leaves  and  the 
changing  autumnal  tints.  The  day  was  as  warm  as  sum- 
mer, and  roses,  heliotropes,  carnations,  &c.,  were  all  ablow 
in  the  open  air.  Never  has  such  a season  been  known  in 


336 


YILDIZ  KIOSK. 


Constantinople  and  its  neighbourhood — summer,  with  its 
beauty,  warmth,  and  fragrance,  prolonging  itself  far  into 
the  winter  months.  From  the  Sweet  Waters  we  rode 
across  country  nearly  to  the  forest  of  Belgrade,  where  the 
Russians  still  have  some  encampments.  Then  we  came 
back,  through  Turkish  villages,  to  Mashleck,  and  by  the 
Sultan’s  model  farm  to  Yildiz  Kiosk,  where  the  present 
Sultan,  Abdul  Hamid,  always  resides.  A new  sultan  never 
occupies  the  residence  of  his  predecessor,  and  must  always 
be  building,  or  he  would  die  immediately.  Such,  at  least,  is 
the  Turkish  belief.  Hence  the  crowd  of  splendid  palaces  on 
the  Bosphorus,  most  of  them  uninhabited,  while  the  Sultan 
lives  in  a comparatively  small  building,  outside  the  gates 
of  which  he  scarcely  ever  shows  himself,  except  to  go  to 
a mosque,  not  a hundred  yards  from  the  entrance,  every 
Friday.  Abdul  Aziz  lived  at  Dolmabagtcheh,  Murad  V.  at 
Tcheragan,1  and  now  Abdul  Hamid  at  Yildiz  Kiosk.  On 
the  way  from  Yildiz  Kiosk  we  passed  an  entirely  new 
street  of  buildings,  like  large  shops.  Some  people  say 
that  they  are  dependencies  of  Dolmabagtcheh,  others  that 
they  were  designed  to  lay  the  spirit  of  the  old  dervish  at 
Tcheragan.  Anyhow,  they  have  been  put  to  a good  use,  for 
they  serve  as  shelter  to  thousands  of  the  poor  refugees  from 
Roumelia,  Bulgaria,  &c.,  who  are  supplied  by  the  Govern- 
ment with  one  meal  a day.  This  is  better  than  nothing,  and 
their  condition  is  a happy  one  compared  with  what  many 
of  their  compatriots  are  suffering,  shipped  away  as  they 
are  by  thousands  in  wretched  unseaworthy  vessels,  to  be 
landed  at  ports  in  districts  governed  by  corrupt  pashas,  who, 
appropriating  to  themselves  the  money  confided  to  them  to 
1 See  Note  C (2),  Appendix. 


SAD  NEWS . 


337 


supply  the  refugees  with  food  and  seeds,  tools  and  houses, 
leave  the  poor  wretches  to  starve  and  die. 

Monday , December  2nd. — A rainy  morning.  1 was 
called  at  5 a.m.,  and  was  busy  all  the  morning  with  my 
letters.  A telegram  from  Cyprus  announces  the  death  of 
poor  Bonner.  He  was  a great  favourite  with  his  shipmates 
who  are  one  and  all  greatly  cut  up  by  the  sad  tidings. 
Colonel  White  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Williamson  appear  to 
have  been  very  kind  to  him,  and  to  have  fully  carried  out 
our  wish  that  he  should  have  every  comfort  and  attention. 
The  description  of  his  last  moments,  and  a letter  dictated 
on  his  death-bed,  full  of  gratitude  to  us  and  all  on  board, 
and  praying  for  forgiveness  for  unintentional  neglect  of 
duty,  were  most  touching.  I have  heard  of  some  one  making 
a collection  of  the  records  of  the  last  words  that  fall  from 
the  lips  of  dying  men.  Poor  Bonner’s  last  words,  as  he 
raised  himself  for  a moment  and  imitated  the  act  of  rowing, 
were,  ‘ Pull  all  together,  boys  ; ’ then  he  fell  back — dead. 
If  the  precept  of  that  unconscious  sermon  could  always  be 
carried  out,  how  much  happier  would  many  a ship’s  com- 
pany, many  a family,  and  many  a nation  too,  be  for  it ! 
Poor  Kindred  has  received  further  particulars  as  to  the 
death  of  his  wife  ; another  man  learns  that  he  has  lost  a 
child  ; so  that  altogether  our  news  is  of  a melancholy  cha- 
racter, and  everybody  on  board  feels  more  or  less  depressed 
by  sad  and  sympathetic  feeling  for  the  suffering  and  sorrow 
of  others.  But  I am  thankful  to  say  our  own  belongings 
at  home  appear  to  be  well  and  happy. 

About  11  a.m.  we  went  ashore  to  the  mosque  of  St. 
Sophia,  described  by  Fergusson  as  the  finest  building  in  the 
world.  I had  seen  it  several  times  during  our  former  visit. 


338 


LADY  STRANGFORHS  WORK . 


but  to-day  I thought  it  looked  more  striking  than  ever, 
with  its  magnificent  span  of  roof,  its  huge  vacant  centre,  its 
exquisite  mosaics,  and  its  perfect  proportions.  What  a 
contrast  must  its  grandeur  have  presented  to  the  misery  of 
its  occupants,  when,  last  winter,  five  thousand  refugees — 
men,  women,  and  children — in  every  stage  of  starvation  and 
disease,  were  encamped  under  its  vast  roof ! Lady  Strang- 
ford  was  indeed  a ministering  angel  there,  and  with  her  coad- 
jutors did  all  in  her  power  to  alleviate  their  sufferings,  and 
to  administer  to  the  best  advantage  the  funds  committed  to 
her  care.  Everyone  speaks  well  of  her  administrative  talents, 
as  well  as  of  her  kindness  and  devotion,  although  some  may 
think  that  in  certain  respects  her  arrangements  might  have 
been  more  judicious. 

From  St.  Sophia  we  drove  to  the  Hippodrome  and  the 
mosque  of  Achmed,  with  its  six  beautiful  minarets.  We 
did  not  go  inside  this  time,  but  contented  ourselves  with 
admiring  the  exterior.  Then  we  looked  at  the  Egyptian 
obelisk,  the  most  perfect  that  exists,  and  very  deeply 
cut,  though  not  so  large  as  Cleopatra’s  Needle.  We  also 
examined  the  twisted  bronze  column  of  the  Three  Serpents 
which  supported,  it  is  said,  the  golden  tripod  of  the 
priestess  of  Apollo  at  Delphi,  as  well  as  the  obelisk  con- 
structed of  brick,  which  is  not,  however,  very  interesting. 
There  are  the  Thousand  and  One  Columns  just  below,  in 
what  was  once  an  enormous  reservoir,  from  which  the  city 
used  to  be  supplied,  though  whence  the  water  came  nobody 
seems  to  know. 

We  lunched  at  the  Hotel  de  Byzance,  a far  more  com- 
fortable place  than  Misseri’s  old  Hotel  d’Angleterre,  now 
completely  gone  to  ruin,  I believe.  Poor  George  was  in  a 


PRINCESS  NAZLPS  CHARITY . 


339 


great  way  at  our  defection,  feeling  in  honour  bound  to 
defend  and  recommend  his  old  master’s  establishment. 
Afterwards  we  paddled  about  in  the  mud,  looking  at  the 
shops,  but  were  hardly  rewarded  for  our  trouble.  Con- 
stantinople has  lost  much  of  its  glitter  and  glory,  but  the 
mud,  squalor,  and  misery  remain,  and  are  increased  tenfold. 
At  Lady  Thomas’s,  where  I called,  I met  the  Princess 
Nazli,  who  was  delighted  to  see  me  again,  and  with  whom 


Refugees  at  the  Princess  hiazli's  door. 

I had  a most  interesting  conversation  on  the  events  which 
have  happened  since  we  were  last  here.  She  has  sold 
almost  everything  she  possessed  to  feed  the  sick  and  poor, 
and  to  maintain  her  own  household.  She  has  worked  hard 
in  the  hospitals,  and  just  outside  her  palace  door,  at  Yun- 
dukli,  where  we  land  every  day,  there  is  a little  square 
place  literally  filled  with  poor  refugees,  who  find  an  im- 
perfect shelter  beneath  improvised  tents  or  under  projecting 


340 


TURKISH  REFUGEES. 


doorways,  and  who  are  in  great  measure  dependent  upon 
her  bounty.  Now  that  the  weather  is  turning  cold  and 
rainy,  I do  not  know  what  they  will  do,  for  their  numbers 
include  many  women  and  babies.  I saw  them  drying  their 
scanty  bedding  this  morning,  and  cooking  their  miserable 
meal.  The  princess  had  been  reading  ‘ Tancred  ’ lately, 
and  was  much  interested  in  some  of  the  utterances  that  the 
author  had  put  into  the  mouth  of  the  Emir,  and  which  she 
regarded  in  the  light  of  a prophecy,  especially  the  following: 
I’ll  tell  you,”  said  the  Emir,  springing  from  his  divan, 
and  flinging  the  tube  of  his  nargilly  to  the  other  end  of  the 
tent  : “ the  game  is  in  our  hands,  if  we  have  energy.  There 
is  a combination  which  would  entirely  change  the  whole 
face  of  the  world,  and  bring  back  empire  to  the  East. 
Though  you  are  not  the  brother  of  the  Queen  of  the 
English,  you  are  nevertheless  a great  English  prince,  and 
the  Queen  will  listen  to  what  you  say,  especially  if  you 
talk  to  her  as  you  talk  to  me,  and  say  such  fine  things  in 
such  a beautiful  voice.  Nobody  ever  opened  my  mind 
like  you.  You  will  magnetise  the  Queen,  as  you  have 
magnetised  me.  Go  back  to  England  and  arrange  this. 
You  see,  gloze  it  over  as  they  may,  one  thing  is  clear  : it 
is  finished  with  England.  There  are  three  things  which 
alone  must  destroy  it.  Primo,  O’Connell  appropriating  to 
himself  the  revenues  of  half  of  her  Majesty’s  dominions. 
Secondo,  the  cottons ; the  world  begins  to  get  a little 
disgusted  with  those  cottons  ; naturally  everybody  prefers 
silk  ; I am  sure  that  the  Lebanon  in  time  could  supply  the 
whole  world  with  silk,  if  it  were  properly  administered. 
Thirdly,  steam  ; with  this  steam  your  great  ships  have 
become  a respectable  Noah’s  ark.  The  game  is  up.  Louis- 


‘ tancred: 


34* 


Philippe  can  take  Windsor  Castie  whenever  he  pleases,  as 
you  took  Acre,  with  the  wind  in  his  teeth.  It  is  all  over, 
then.  Now,  see  a coup  d'etat  that  saves  all.  You  must 
perform  the  Portuguese  scheme  on  a great  scale  ; quit 
a petty  and  exhausted  position  for  a vast  and  prolific 
empire.  Let  the  Queen  of  the  English  collect  a great 
fleet,  let  her  stow  away  all  her  treasure,  bullion,  gold  plate, 
and  precious  arms  ; be  accompanied  by  all  her  court  and 
chief  people,  and  transfer  the  seat  of  her  empire  from 
London  to  Delhi.  There  she  will  find  an  immense  empire 
ready  made,  a first-rate  army,  and  a large  revenue.  In  the 
meantime  I will  arrange  with  Mehemet  Ali.  He  shall 
have  Bagdad  and  Mesopotamia,  and  pour  the  Bedoueen 
cavalry  into  Persia.  I will  take  care  of  Syria  and  Asia 
Minor.  The  only  way  to  manage  the  Afghans  is  by  Persia 
and  by  the  Arabs.  We  will  acknowledge  the  Empress  of 
India  as  our  suzerain,  and  secure  for  her  the  Levantine  coast 
If  she  like,  she  shall  have  Alexandria,  as  she  now  has 
Malta  ; it  could  be  arranged.  Your  Queen  is  young;  she 
has  an  avenir.  Aberdeen  and  Sir  Peel  will  never  give  her 
this  advice  ; their  habits  are  formed.  They  are  too  old, 
too  ruses.  But,  you  see,  the  greatest  empire  that  ever 
existed  ; besides  which  she  gets  rid  of  the  embarrassment 
of  her  Chambers  ! And  quite  practicable  ; for  the  only 
difficult  part,  the  conquest  of  India,  which  baffled  Alexander, 
is  all  done  ! ” 1 

Perhaps  you  may  like  to  know  how  the  princess  was 
dressed.  She  wore  a rich  dark  ruby  velvet  princesse  dress, 
with  filigree  buttons  down  the  front,  and  trimmed  with 
reversible  ribbon,  bows  of  velvet  to  match,  and  the  palest 
blue  satin.  The  wide  pockets  and  sleeves  were  also 


342 


THE  SULTAN'S  FINANCES. 


trimmed  with  gold  Smyrna  lace.  A charming  bonnet,  to 
match  the  costume,  was  partly  hidden  by  a very  fine  muslin 
yashmak.  She  wore  no  jewels  except  diamond  earrings 
and  a wedding-ring. 

We  were  to  have  had  some  friends  to  dine  on  board  to- 
night, but  it  was  blowing  a hurricane  and  pouring  with 
rain,  so  that  only  two  of  the  expected  guests  appeared,  and 
they  had  the  greatest  difficulty  in  reaching  us.  They  are 
here  to  examine  into,  and  to  endeavour  to  regulate,  the 
Sultans  finances — rather  a difficult  undertaking,  I should 
imagine. 

Tuesday , December'  3 rd. \ — This  morning  dawned  beauti- 
fully bright  and  sunny  after  the  rain,  and  we  debated 
between  an  expedition  up  the  Bosphorus  and  one  to  the 
bazaars  ; but  the  latter  finally  carried  the  day,  and  about 
10  a.m.  we  started — all  except  Tom,  who  stayed  on  board 
to  have  a chat  with  Hobart  Pasha. 

The  bazaars  have  very  much  gone  off  since  1874.  The 
Russians,  it  is  said,  have  bought  up  nearly  everything,  and 
what  they  left  has  now  been  sent  up  to  Adrianople,  in  the 
hope  that  they  may  purchase  even  the  wretched  remains. 
There  are  a few  exceptions,  however.  In  the  Bezistan, 
or  place  of  arms,  a central  bazaar,  where  all  sorts  of  things 
are  sold  by  auction,  great  treasures  may  occasionally  be 
picked  up  in  these  bad  times.  But  one  must  be  on  the  spot 
when  they  are  first  brought  there  for  sale.  Everybody  in 
Turkey — certainly  in  Constantinople — from  the  highest  to 
the  lowest,  appears  to  be  more  or  less  hard  up.  The  slaves 
from  the  harems  are  constantly  bringing  valuable  jewels 
and  plate  to  be  disposed  of  for  a little  money,  not  having 
themselves  the  least  idea  of  their  value.  In  this  way  we 


JEWELS  FOR  SALE. 


343 


picked  up  some  beautifully  inlaid  turquoise  belts,  carved 
ivory  cups,  old  silver,  and  other  things,  by  the  merest 
chance.  A friend  of  mine  saw  five  splendid  hoop  gem 
rings,  each  worth  nearly  a hundred  pounds,  sold  by  a slave 
to  a Jew  for  one  pound  each ; and,  on  another  occasion,  some 
superb  coffee-cup  holders,  a mass  of  rubies  and  diamonds, 
disposed  of  for  next  to  nothing.  These  must  have  be- 
longed to  some  of  the  princesses,  or  to  ladies  of  the  highest 
rank,  for  no  one  else  would  be  likely  to  possess  such  things. 
The  bazaars  themselves  are  picturesque,  dirty,  and  dark, 
as  of  old,  but  the  gay  part  of  the  crowd  has  departed.  No 
more  gorgeous  silk-lined  carriages,  drawn  by  white  horses, 
and  guarded  and  attended  by  eunuchs,  slaves,  and  soldiers  ; 
no  more  less  pretentious  equipages,  from  which  step  ladies, 
attired  in  silk  and  satin  and  sparkling  with  jewels,  their 
bright  eyes  imperfectly  concealed  by  their  yashmaks  and 
feridjees.  All  these  are  past  and  gone,  and  all  that  can 
now  be  seen  are  a few  poorly  dressed  ladies  making  their 
small  household  purchases. 

From  the  bazaars  we  went  to  the  Pigeon  Mosque,  and 
paid  a few  piastres  to  see  the  birds  fed.  It  was  a wonder- 
ful, and  to  the  children  a delightful,  sight  when  they  came 
flocking  down  in  thousands  and  tens  of  thousands.  The 
pigeons  actually  trampled  one  another  on  the  ground,  so 
thickly  were  they  packed.  At  one  moment  their  heads 
were  all  hidden,  as  they  picked  up  the  food  from  the  ground, 
and  nothing  was  visible  except  a mass  of  little  grey  tails, 
fluttering  and  wagging  ; then  some  slight  noise  would  disturb 
them,  and  their  soft  innocent  little  heads  would  all  be  lifted 
up,  causing  a shimmer  of  emerald  and  ruby  tints  as  their 
beautiful  throats  glittered  in  the  sun.  Then  the  children 


344 


THE  AMBER  BAZAAR. 


went  off  to  see  the  dancing  dervishes,  while  we  proceeded 
to  the  Amber  Bazaar,  where  the  prices  seem  to  have 
increased  more,  in  proportion,  than  anywhere  else.  Such 
a necklace  as  was  worth  from  ten  to  twenty  pounds  four 
years  ago  could  not  now  be  bought  for  less  than  sixty. 

After  lunching  at  the  Hotel  de  Byzance,  and  looking 


Pigeons  at  the  Mosque. 


through  the  latest  newspapers,  we  again  separated,  Mabelle 
and  I going  to  call  on  some  old  friends  ; but  we  found  only 
Madame  Ikbal  Kiasim  at  home.  She  is  like  a very  charming 
Frenchwoman,  and  it  is  difficult  to  believe  that  she  was 
originally  a Circassian  slave.  She  still  lives  with  her  son, 
Izzet  Bey,  who  is  married  to  the  Princess  Azizieh,  niece  of 
the  Viceroy  of  Egypt,  and  half-sister  to  the  Princess  Nazli. 


THE  KOURBAN  BA/RAM. 


345 


We  went  through  the  usual  hospitalities  of  sweetmeats  and 
coffee,  and  had  a long  chat  about  people  and  things  in 
general.  She  looks  younger  than  ever,  and  was  dressed  in 
a beautiful  blue  Cashmere  shawl,  cut  into  a princesse  robe, 
trimmed  with  lovely  old  lace,  and  ornamented  with  dia- 
monds. 

It  was  dark  before  I returned  on  board,  where  I found  a 
great  treat  awaiting  me  in  the  shape  of  a large  basket  of 
delicious  sweet-smelling  flowers — roses,  carnations,  helio- 
tropes, geraniums,  &c. — a special  luxury  after  having  had 
so  few  lately. 

During  dinner  we  discussed  with  our  guests  the  trip  to 
Constantinople,  and  heard  a good  deal  of  news.  It  seems 
quite  impossible  to  visit  the  lines  of  Tchekmedje,  as  General 
Baker  Pasha  has  already  been  obliged  to  refuse  an  im- 
mense number  of  applications  for  permission  to  do  so. 
Even  Turkish  officers  are  not  admitted,  except  when  on 
duty. 

Wednesday , December  ^th. — A very  wet  morning,  of 
which  we  all  took  advantage  to  write  our  letters  until 
luncheon  time.  Then,  in  macintoshes  and  thick  boots, 
we  paid  another  visit  to  the  bazaars  and  bought  some  more 
treasures. 

To-morrow  will  be  the  Kourban  Bairam,  and  just  as 
we  landed  the  guns  were  firing  from  ships  and  citadels  to 
announce  to  all  Mussulmans  the  pleasing  fact  that  at  sunset 
to-night  their  fast  would  be  at  an  end,  and  feasting  and 
revelry  might  begin.  It  is  a different  feast  from  the  other 
Bairam,  and  has  evidently  some  connection  with  the 
Jewish  Passover  ; and  as  every  family  makes  it  a point  to 
sacrifice,  if  possible,  a sheep  or  a lamb  on  the  occasion,  the 


346 


CONSTANTINOPLE  PORTERS. 


city  has  been  full  of  flocks  of  all  colours,  sizes,  and  breeds, 
for  some  days  past.  The  most  ridiculous  sights  are  con- 
stantly to  be  witnessed  of  great  big-horned  rams  being 
carried  pick-a-back  by  a hamal,  or  Constantinople  porter. 
Sometimes  ten  or  a dozen  of  these  men  may  be  seen,  each 
carrying  a big  sheep  in  a different  attitude,  some  of  the 
poor  animals  looking  about  them  as  if,  like  children,  they 
really  enjoyed  the  ride,  while  others,  with  their  heads 
hanging  mournfully  down,  appear  fully  to  realise  their 
position,  and  to  have  ceased  to  take  an  interest  in  any- 


Pick-a-back. 


thing.  The  hamals  are  said  to  carry  anything,  from  a 
packet  of  needles  to  a grand  piano,  up  and  down  the  steep 
streets.  Personally,  I have  never  seen  one  man  carry  more 
than  a cottage  piano  on  his  back  at  one  time. 

The  weather  cleared  up,  and  the  afternoon  turned  out 
very  fine.  I went  to  call  on  Sir  Henry  and  Lady  Layard, 
who  seemed  full  of  interest  in  our  voyages  and  visit  to 
Cyprus.  Several  people  dropped  in  during  my  visit,  all 
more  or  less  bouleverses  by  the  sudden  change  which  has 
taken  place  in  the  ministry.  Tom  had  been  spending  the 
afternoon  with  H.B.M.’s  Consul-General,  who  painted  a 


WAITING  FOR  THE  SULTAN. 


347 


dreary  picture  of  the  horrors  of  ou^  intended  journey  to 
Adrianople,  dwelling  on  the  misery  of  the  accommoda- 
tion to  be  met  with,  or  rather  of  the  want  of  it.  But  others 
tell  a different  tale,  and  it  is  rather  puzzling  to  decide  which 
is  the  correct  version. 

It  was  so  rough  in  the  evening  that  it  was  quite  a 
matter  of  difficulty  to  return  on  board  the  yacht.  The 
seas  were  breaking  over  the  Princess  Nazli’s  steps,  and 
Mabelle  and  I had  to  embark  at  a small  harbour  higher  up 
the  Bosphorus. 

Thursday , December  $tk. — A friend  kindly  sent  his 
cavass  on  board  at  7.30  a.m.  to  take  us  to  see  the  Sultan 
going  in  state  to  the  mosque.  He  ought,  according  to  im- 
memorial custom,  to  have  gone  to  the  mosque  of  Achmet, 
in  Stamboul,  but  settled  to  go  to  Fundukli  instead,  and 
preparations  had  accordingly  been  made.  Penally  he  de- 
cided to  go  to  a mosque  near  Dolmabagtcheh,  close  to  the 
palace  of  the  same  name.  Our  interpreter,  George,  had 
not  expected  so  early  a start,  and  as  we  had  to  wait  some 
time  for  horses  for  ourselves  and  a carriage  for  the  chil- 
dren, the  Sultan  was  already  in  the  mosque  when  we 
arrived.  A considerable  crowd,  but  not  nearly  so  numerous 
as  in  1874,  was  waiting  to  see  him  come  out  We  were 
specially  interested  in  watching  various  little  broughams, 
mostly  hired,  all  seedy  and  shabby,  and  full  of  ladies 
and  children  from  the  harems,  this  being  one  of  their  few 
outings  in  the  course  o»f  the  year.  The  soldiers  did  not 
look  nearly  so  smart  and  clean  as  they  used  to  do,  the 
uniforms  being  of  various  colours,  some  new,  some  ragged, 
and  some  in  middling  condition,  the  best-looking  being 
placed  in  front.  The  men  themselves  were  all  well  armed, 


348 


ARAB  HORSES. 


and  looked  well  fed  and  in  good  condition.  At  last  the 
playing  of  the  bands  and  the  cheers  of  the  people  an- 
nounced the  Sultan’s  approach.  First  came  two  lines  of 
ministers — present  and  to  come  ; the  past  are  as  completely 
wiped  out  as  writing  from  a slate  by  a wet  sponge.  Some 
of  their  faces  struck  me  as  being  fine,  without  good  ex- 
pression ; and  their  gorgeous  ill-fitting  uniforms,  a mass  of 
gold  and  jewels,  made  one  inclined  to  believe  the  story 
that  all  the  tailors  of  Stamboul  and  Galata  had  been  sit- 
ting up  the  whole  of  last  night  in  order  to  complete  them 
for  the  unexpected  holders  of  power  to-day.  The  Sultan 
himself  was  mounted  on  a pure  white  Arab  steed,  whose 
pedigree,  I believe,  dates  back  for  many  thousand  years. 
Behind  him  were  led  five  other  splendid  chargers.  I never 
saw  such  horses  anywhere  in  my  life,  and  could  not  help 
desperately  coveting  a young  iron-grey  and  a chestnut 
with  four  white  legs.  The  Sultan  did  not  sit  his  horse 
badly,  but  appeared  to  be  in  a great  fright.  He  is  thin, 
cadaverous,  and  melancholy-looking,  with  great  sleepy 
eyes,  rather  inviting  affection  than  commanding  respect, 
it  was  an  interesting  pageant,  but  soon  over,  as  the  Sultan 
was  in  haste  to  get  safely  inside  the  gates  of  his  palace, 
and  to  complete  the  ceremonies  of  the  Bairam.  We 
lingered  about  some  time,  looking  at  the  crowd,  the  horses, 
and  the  soldiers,  and  thinking  of  the  contrast  between  this 
and  the  gorgeous  pageant  of  1874,  and  then  rode  back  to 
the  quay  and  went  on  board  to  breakfast. 

We  had  a busy  morning  on  board.  Several  friends 
came  to  luncheon,  and  others  arrived  soon  afterwards. 
Then  came  Princess  Nazli,  Princess  Azizieh,  and  Madame 
Ikbal  Kiasim,  each  with  her  suite,  and  by  appointment,  to 


TURKISH  LADIES  ON  BOARD. 


349 


Gee  the  yacht  and  to  have  tea  with  me.  Their  costumes  were 
more  Parisian  and  their  yashmaks  thinner  than  ever,  and 
the  slaves,  having  forsaken  their  beautiful  Eastern  costumes 
since  we  were  here  before,  looked  more  fashionable,  but 
not  half  so  pretty.  Some  had  visited  the  yacht  previously,1 
some  had  not,  but  all  were  interested  in  seeing  our  curios 
from  various  parts  of  the  world.  They  drank  tea  and 
coffee,  smoked  innumerable  cigarettes,  and  stayed  until 
nearly  6 p.m.,  though  some  of  them  were  rather  overcome 


Princesses  Embarking. 


greatly  to  the  amount  of  liberty  they  enjoy.  They  are  now 
much  less  particular  about  seeing  gentlemen,  and,  once  in 
the  cabin,  laughed  and  talked  with  the  greatest  freedom 
and  enjoyment.  Some  of  the  princesses  had  been  on  board 
the  ‘ Antelope  ’ and  the  ‘ Alexandra,’  to  see  some  torpedo 
experiments,  and  were  quite  pleased  to  meet  Admiral 
Hornby  (who  was  on  board  the  yacht)  again.  A few 
months  ago  Princess  Nazli  went  to  Egypt,  and  was  not 
allowed  to  return  to  Constantinople.  She  put  on  a thick 

1 See  Note  C (i),  Appendix. 


35° 


HABITS  OF  THE  HAREM. 


yashmak  and  feridjee,  borrowed  a thousand  francs,  and 
travelled  back  with  her  English  maid,  who  has  now  been 
with  her  for  five  years.  As  soon  as  they  had  made  a clear 
start  they  threw  off  yashmak  and  feridjee  and  travelled  as 
two  English  ladies,  until  they  reached  Constantinople, 
when  they  again  assumed  the  Oriental  costume.  Within 
comparatively  recent  years  such  a proceeding  on  the  part 
of  a Turkish  married  lady  would  have  been  rewarded  by 
the  bowstring,  the  sack,  and  the  Bosphorus.  Not  so  very 
long  ago  six  hundred  women  of  the  Imperial  harem  actually 
suffered  this  fate,  their  bodies  being  sunk  in  sacks  in  the 
Gulf  of  Ismid,  close  to  where  our  fleet  has  been  lying 
recently.  In  some  of  the  numerous  intrigues  and  conspi- 
racies, these  unfortunate  women  were  supposed  to  have 
aided  and  abetted  the  usurper  in  his  pretensions  to  the 
throne,  and  they  were  thus  treated  by  the  successor  when  his 
turn  came  shortly  after.  The  ladies  of  the  harem  of  the 
late  Abdul  Aziz  have  fared  better  than  that,  as  many  as 
possible  having  been  sold,  married,  or  otherwise  provided 
for,  whilst  the  rest  were  pensioned  off.  The  once  proud, 
vindictive,  all-powerful  Sultan  Valideh,  who  really  governed 
Turkey,  and  who,  as  I have  mentioned  before,  washed  her 
face,  and  refused  to  eat  for  twelve  hours,  because  the 
Empress  of  the  French  condescended  to  give  her  the  kiss 
of  a sister  sovereign,  is  now  living  in  the  strictest  retirement 
at  Kandili,  with  plenty  of  time  to  think  over  her  extra- 
ordinary career.  The  present  Sultan  has  four  children,  all 
by  one  acknowledged  wife,  but  even  she  dares  not  sit  down 
in  the  presence  of  the  Sultan’s  mother,  but  remains  meekly 
standing  before  her  when  lady  visitors  are  there.  Sultan 
Abdul  Hamid  has  always  been  a nervous  man,  with  the 


ABDUL  HAMID'S  CHARACTER. 


35i 


constitutional  family  dread  of  plots,  conspiracies,  and  as- 
sassinations. Since  the  horrible  affair  at  Tcheragan  he 
has  never  been  himself,  and  lives  in  a state  of  perpetual 
dread.  The  man  who  now  possesses  the  most  influence 
in  Turkey  is,  we  are  told,  the  Cafidje,  or  maker  and  hander 
of  the  Imperial  cups  of  coffee.  The  Sultan  trusts  and 
believes  in  him  more  than  in  anybody  else.  He  is  always 
afraid  of  some  attempt  being  made  to  restore  poor  Murad,1 
who  is  said  to  be  quite  mad,  and  whom  he  has  had  confined 
in  a kiosk  in  his  own  park,  with  high  railings  all  round,  so 
that  nobody  can  by  any  possibility  gain  access  to  him. 

The  present  Sultan  appears  to  be  much  liked  by  all 


Turkish  Bracelet 


who  come  in  personal  contact  with  him,  and  to  have  an 
earnest  desire  to  do  what  is  right,  though  he  is  easily  in- 
fluenced by  others.  Sir  Henry  and  Lady  Layard  are 
never  tired  of  praising  him,  and  Hobart  Pasha,  Sir  Colling- 
wood  Dickson,  and  many  others  who  have  occasion  to  see 
him  continually,  seem  to  be  equally  fascinated.  It  was 
the  Sultan  himself  who  suggested  sending  for  Baker  Pasha 
to  carry  out  the  idea  of  the  lines  which  are  now  being  so 
ably  executed  under  his  active  superintendence.  He  dines 

1 This  is  the  young  man  to  whom  I alluded,  in  the  account  of  my  previous 
visit,  as  the  eldest  nephew  of  Abdul  Aziz  (p.  71).  He  succeeded  to  the  throne 
on  his  uncle’s  deposition,  but,  as  is  well  known,  was  himself  deposed  a few 
weeks  afterwards,  in  favour  of  his  next  younger  brother,  the  present  Sultan. 


352 


SUFFERINGS  ON  BOARD  THE  ‘ASIA: 


in  European  fashion  every  day,  and  in  all  his  ways  is  much 
more  civilised  than  his  predecessors.  He  is  very  fond  of 
pets  of  all  kinds  ; and  when  he  gave  Lady  Layard  a small 
white  cockatoo  the  other  day,  it  arrived  at  the  Embassy  in 
great  state  in  a two-oared  caique,  with  a full-uniformed  and 
medaled  aide-de-camp  in  attendance,  to  the  intense  interest 
of  the  people  of  Therapia. 

Before  the  princesses  left,  many  other  visitors  arrived, 
and  I was  nearly  tired  out  when  the  last  departed.  Tom, 
in  the  meantime,  had  been  to  see  what  he  described  to  me 
as  ‘ one  of  the  most  terrible  scenes  of  human  misery  that 
can  be  imagined.’  The  ‘ Asia,’  a ship  of  900  tons  burden, 
was  laden  with  two  thousand  refugees — men,  women 
and  children — all  bound  for  Chanak,  Smyrna,  Beyrout,  and 
Larnaka.  It  was  impossible  to  move  on  either  of  the 
decks  without  treading  on  some  one.  The  poor  creatures 
had  no  covering,  no  food,  no  room  to  move,  and  the  ship 
itself  was  without  ballast.  The  captain  seemed  half  an 
idiot ; the  crew  could  understand  no  language  but  their 
own,  which  was  unintelligible  to  everybody  else.  The  first 
and  second  mates  put  their  heads  together  and  determined 
to  lay  the  case  before  the  British  consul ; so  the  ‘Asia’  has 
been  detained  for  a day  or  two,  the  result  of  which  will,  I 
hope,  be  some  mitigation  in  the  sufferings  of  her  passengers. 
Several  died  last  night,  and  Tom  said  he  felt  sure  many 
more  deaths  must  shortly  follow. 

The  expedition  to  Tchekmedje,  which  we  had  some 
faint  hope  of  being  able  to  make,  seems  to  be  an  impossi- 
bility ; but  we  were  told  that  every  facility  would  be 
granted  us  by  the  minister  of  war  for  a visit  to  the  other 
lines  at  San  Stefano.  I fear,  however,  we  shall  not  have 


AUSTRIAN  AMBASSADOR’S  PARTY. 


353 


time  to  avail  ourselves  of  the  opportunity  if  we  go  to 
Adrianople. 

After  dinner  we  went  to  the  Austrian  ambassador’s, 
where  we  met  all  the  diplomatic  circle  and  a good 
many  Turks,  and  the  evening  ended  with  a pleasant  little 
dance. 


Bulgarian  Earring. 


CHAPTER  X. 


ADRIANOPLE. 

Famine  is  in  thy  cheeks, 

Need  arid  oppression  starveth  in  thine  eyes, 

Contempt  and  beggary  hangs  upon  thy  back  ; 

The  world  is  not  thy  friend,  nor  the  world's  law. 

Friday , December  6th. — We  were  called  at  4.30  a.m. 
The  elements  certainly  seemed  to  have  conspired  against 
our  expedition  to  Adrianople,  for  the  wind  howled,  and  the 
rain  came  down  not  in  torrents  but  in  sheets.  However, 
all  arrangements  had  been  made,  so  we  determined  to 
start — Mr.  Bingham,  Mabelle,  and  I ; for  Tom  could  not 
get  away,  having  much  business  to  attend  to  and  much 
writing  to  do.  George  was  late  in  coming  off,  and  we 
nearly  missed  the  train,  having  to  row  right  across  the 
harbour  to  Stamboul,  and  then  to  wade  through  a sea  of 
mud,  followed  by  a line  of  porters,  to  the  station.  There 
we  found  that  there  was  some  mistake  about  the  saloon 
carriage ; but  we  managed  to  make  ourselves  comfortable 
in  a first-class  carriage,  in  company  with  a gentlemanly 
Turk  who  spoke  English,  and  a French  lady  who  appeared 
to  be  in  the  habit  of  making  frequent  journeys  between 
Adrianople  and  Constantinople,  and  consequently  knew  all 
the  places  on  the  road.  We  passed  slowly  through  the 
town  of  Stamboul  and  its  old  walls,  on  to  San  Stefano, 
where  one  set  of  lines  branches  off  to  Tchekmedje. 


TCHORLOU  RAILWAY  STATION. 


355 


Every  station  was  crowded  with  Turkish  soldiers,  and 
was  surrounded  by  a large  encampment  and  many  stores 
awaiting  transport  The  line  meandered  along  near  the 
edge  of  the  sea  and  over  salt  marshes  nearly  all  the  way, 
by  Baksais  and  Cattaldza.  Some  of  the  little  gulfs  were 
quite  black  with  wild  fowl  and  wild  geese,  which  rose  from 
the  reeds  and  marshes  in  whirring  flocks.  At  Tchorlou  the 
train  stopped  to  allow  the  passengers  to  dine.  Sometimes 
there  is  not  enough  food  for  everybody,  and  as  we  had 
been  warned  of  this  we  brought  our  own  provisions  and 
consumed  them  en  route.  This  gave  us  time  to  walk 
about  and  see  what  there  was  to  be  seen,  which  was  not 
much.  The  rain  still  continued  to  pour  down,  as  if  it 
would  never  stop.  A long  dreary  road  stretched  away 
from  the  station  to  a distant  town,  while  in  different  direc- 
tions were  several  camps,  hundreds  of  soldiers,  and  tons 
and  tons  of  stores.  It  was  here  that,  during  the  war,  the 
Stafford  House  Committee  did  so  much  good  by  visiting 
the  trains  of  wounded  and  sick  soldiers,  binding  up  their 
wounds,  and  giving  them  soup,  wine,  and  water.  What 
angels  of  mercy  they  must  have  appeared  to  the  poor 
suffering  wretches,  who  had  been  jolted  and  knocked 
about  for  days,  untended  and  uncared  for ! There  are  no 
railway  officials  except  the  station-masters  and  those 
attached  to  the  train  : all  the  porters’  work  is  done  by 
soldiers,  and  they  appear  to  perform  their  task  well  and 
civilly,  though  the  stations  are  filthy  beyond  description. 
The  carriages  themselves  look  clean  and  comfortable, 
and  run  smoothly,  so  that  the  journey,  though  slow  and 
monotonous,  is  not  really  fatiguing.  The  contract  for 
making  the  line  from  Constantinople  was  taken  at  so 


356 


A SCHEMING  CONTRACTOR. 


much  a mile,  and  its  execution  was  not  carefully  looked 
after.  The  contractor  consequently  wandered  about  all 
round  the  country,  in  order  to  be  paid  for  as  many  miles 
as  possible,  as  well  as  to  avoid  bridges,  viaducts,  cuttings, 
earthworks,  tunnels,  or  other  expensive  labour.  In  this 
way  he  contrived  to  add  over  fifty  miles  to  the  distance, 
besides  making  a very  bad  line,  which  is  washed  away 
whenever  there  is  a heavy  rainfall.  It  was  a French 
Christian  who  did  this  for  a Turkish  Mohammedan  ! 

We  passed  a great  many  villages  that  had  been  sacked, 
burnt,  and  destroyed  by  the  Russians.  At  Lilli  Bourgas 
we  left  the  Turkish  camps  and  soldiers  behind,  and  passed 
through  the  Russian  lines.  The  Russians  seemed  to  take  to 
porters’  work  just  as  handily  as  the  Turks,  only  that  they 
were  a little  more  stolid  and  stupid.  From  this  point  it  was 
quite  dark,  and  I think  we  all  slept  till  we  reached  Adria- 
nople,  soon  after  9 p.m.,  where  a friend  kindly  met  us  at 
the  station.  While  we  were  talking  to  him  at  one  door,  a 
Russian  soldier  crept  in  at  the  other  and  tried  to  steal  one 
of  our  bags.  Luckily  James,  our  new  servant,  saw  him, 
and  made  him  drop  it,  but  the  man  escaped. 

All  round  the  station  was  a sea  of  mud  ; but  as  our  friend 
had  thoughtfully  brought  his  carriage,  we  accomplished 
the  few  hundred  yards’  journey  to  the  hotel  in  comfort.  It 
was  not  a very  inviting-looking  place  at  the  first  glance. 
There  were  two  large  rooms  full  of  Russians  eating  and 
drinking,  a dirty  stone  hall,  a staircase  leading  to  a large 
square  wooden  upper  hall  full  of  Russian  soldiers  (officers’ 
servants)  making  tea  and  smoking.  Round  it  were  about 
twenty  little  rooms,  with  thick  walls  and  strongly  barred 
doors,  each  containing  a bed,  washstand,  and  chair,  and 


DELIGHTS  OF  THE  TELIKA. 


35  7 


all  scrupulously  clean,  well  carpeted,  and  curtained.  One 
bedroom  had  been  turned  into  a sitting-room  for  us,  and 
the  table  was  prepared  for  dinner  quite  nicely. 

From  our  windows  we  could  see  nothing  but  Russian 
soldiers,  tents,  and  huts.  All  night  long  there  was  a con- 
stant rumble  of  forage,  ammunition,  and  provision  carts, 
fetching  stores  from  the  station.  They  say  they  have 
enough  here  for  six  or  seven  years — which  does  not  look 
much  like  an  immediate  evacuation. 

Saturday , December  Jth. — A lovely  morning  after  the 
rain.  Even  the  poor  street  dogs,  which  appear  to  be  more 
abundant  than  ever  here,  wagged  their  apologies  for  tails, 
shook  their  starved  bodies,  and  licked  one  another  in  con- 
gratulation at  once  more  seeing  the  sun  shine. 

We  breakfasted  at  8.30  a.m.,and  were  ready  for  the  car- 
riage at  10  a.m.  But  it  did  not  appear,  and  at  last  James 
got  us  a wretched  little  country  vehicle,  called  a telika, 
very  high,  without  springs,  and  with  a sort  of  tilted  roof,  like 
that  of  a wagon,  over  all.  There  was  one  high  step  about 
two  feet  from  the  ground  and  two  openings  for  doors, 
through  which  one  was  obliged  to  precipitate  oneself  head 
foremost  on  to  the  floor,  trusting  to  be  able  to  get  right 
again  when  once  fairly  inside.  There  was  no  room  to  sit 
upright,  and,  with  noses  and  knees  touching,  we  were  jolted 
over  the  most  awful  roads,  sometimes  with  one  wheel  up 
in  the  air  and  the  other  in  a deep  hole,  always  in  a sea  of 
mud,  which  came  over  the  steps.  There  were  crowds  of 
people,  chiefly  soldiers,  besides  carts  and  horses,  all  the  way. 
We  crossed  the  Maritza  and  Tunja  rivers — two  out  of  the 
three  that  meet  here— by  two  fine  bridges,  and  on  reaching 
the  town,  which  is  about  three  miles  from  the  station,  we 


358 


BAZAAR  OF  ALI  PASHA. 


dismissed  our  uncomfortable  cart-like  conveyance,  and  pro- 
cured a better  carriage  before  proceeding  to  our  friend’s 
house,  which  was  fitted  up  half  in  Oriental,  half  in  Euro- 
pean style,  but  very  comfortably.  Here  we  found  his  wife, 
son,  and  daughter,  all  waiting  and  wondering  what  had 
become  of  us,  and  they  were  greatly  annoyed  when  they 
heard  of  the  failure  of  the  carriage. 

First  we  drove  to  the  bazaar  Ali  Pasha,  the  most  cele- 
brated and  the  most  Eastern-looking  of  all  Oriental  bazaars. 
It  is  300  feet  long,  very  lofty,  and  has  rows  of  little  shops 
on  the  ground  floor,  occupied  by  the  regular  shopkeepers. 
Besides  these  there  were  merchants  from  Persia,  selling 
turquoises,  carpets,  and  embroidered  shawls  ; merchants 
from  the  Balkans,  offering  carpets,  curtains,  and  em- 
broideries ; merchants  from  all  sorts  of  places,  wandering 
about  to  sell  their  wares.  There  were  a few  little  stalls  for 
the  sale  of  French  jewellery  and  watches,  which  looked 
rather  incongruous.  The  crowd  was  a motley  one,  and  I 
could  have  stayed  all  day  watching  it,  but  there  was  much 
more  to  see. 

After  leaving  the  bazaar,  we  had  a most  shaky  drive 
through  the  streets  of  the  town,  past  several  mosques,  till  we 
came  to  a beautiful  forest,  once  the  favourite  resort  of  the 
people  of  Adrianople,  and  adorned  with  little  cafes  and 
kiosks,  now  all  destroyed  by  the  Russians.  At  the  end  of 
the  principal  walk  is  a square  tower,  partly  in  ruins,  and  a 
bridge,  crossing  which  we  arrived  at  the  gate  of  the  Old 
Seraglio,  or  Eske  Serai,  which,  until  last  year,  was  one  of 
the  most  interesting  places  in  Turkey.  It  was  built  in  the 
zenith  of  the  Ottoman  empire,  and  is  the  only  establish- 
ment of  its  kind  remaining.  Unfortunately,  on  January  17, 


ADRIANOPLE  (BRIDGE  OVER  THE  TUNJA. 


HAVOC  WROUGHT  IN  ADRIANOPLE. 


359 


1878,  it  was  accidentally  destroyed  by  the  Turks,  in  their 
attempt  to  blow  up  some  ammunition  stored  close  by,  to 
prevent  its  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  Bulgarians.  The 
Old  Seraglio  tower  is  now  a heap  of  ruins,  and  has  only 
the  outer  staircase  and  the  marble  doorway  remaining. 

The  Sultan  Valideh’s  bath  has  been  utterly  destroyed  ; 
the  Sublime  Porte  remains  standing,  but  the  little  pavilion 
close  by,  where  the  Sultan  used  to  receive  all  important 
visitors,  has  been  quite  destroyed 
internally,  though  a few  fragments 
remain  to  show  how  exquisite  the 
decorations  must  have  been. 

We  wandered  about  and  picked 
up  some  broken  tiles,  bits  of  charm- 
ing colour,  wonderful  light  and  dark 
blues  and  greens.  In  driving  back 
there  is  a good  view  of  the  city, 
which  stands  well,  and  with  its  splen- 
did mosques  and  minarets  presents 
a striking  coup  d' oeil.  Farther  on 

are  the  remains  of  a building  origin- 
ally a large  barrack,  and  afterwards 
occupied  as  a hospital  by  the  Stafford 
House  Committee,  but  since  blown  up  and  destroyed  by 
the  Bulgarians.  Inside  the  walls  many  excellent  large 
Turkish  tents  were  pitched,  and  used  as  hospital  tents  by 
the  Russians.  On  our  way  back  we  saw  Lady  Strang- 
ford’s  hospital.  Both  of  these  excellent  institutions  did 
immense  good  in  the  time  of  need. 

The  mosque  of  Selim  II.,  to  which  we  were  next  taken, 
is  the  finest  in  the  world,  the  span  of  the  dome  being  even 


Bulgarian  Earring. 


360 


MOSQUE  OF  SELIM  II. 


larger  than  that  of  St.  Sophia,  though  it  lacks  its  rich 
mosaics.  To  make  up  for  this,  however,  it  possesses  beau- 
tiful Persian  tiles,  texts  of  the  Koran  printed  on  dark  blue  or 
light  blue  ground  in  the  very  best  style  of  Eastern  writing, 
with  Persian  borderings  of  exquisite  design.  In  the  centre 
there  is  a curious  tulip  carved  in  stone,  the  only  ornament 
on  every  one  of  the  numerous  columns,  and  one  specially 
stipulated  for  by  the  original  owner  of  the  land  as  his 
sole  remuneration  when  he  parted  with  his  favourite  tulip 
garden  to  the  then  Caliph,  as  the  site  for  the  future 
mosque. 

As  it  was  the  feast  of  Kourban  Bairam,  amusements  of 
every  kind  were  going  on  in  the  courtyard  of  the  mosque ; 
merry-go-rounds,  swings,  and  all  sorts  of  diversions  ; sellers 
of  sweetmeats,  eatables,  and  drinkables  abounded  ; the 
people  were  gaily  dressed,  and  it  seemed  as  bright  and 
happy  a crowd  as  anyone  could  wish  to  see.  Big  Russian 
soldiers  in  uniform  were  swinging  alongside  tiny  Turkish 
betrousered  infants.  Outside,  sitting  patiently  in  rows 
against  the  walls  or  shop-fronts,  were  crowds  of  refugees 
waiting  for  their  miserable  little  daily  doles  of  food.  Even 
the  children  seemed  too  gentle  and  patient  to  cry  and 
complain,  but  sat  quiet,  stolid,  and  indifferent.  I have 
particularly  noticed  how  well  the  various  nationalities 
appear  to  get  along  together  in  the  crowded,  narrow,  filthy 
streets.  There  are  representatives  of  every  nation  under 
the  sun  here,  and  crowds  of  Russian  soldiers  ; and  yet, 
when  most  pressed  for  room,  I have  observed  how  patient 
and  gentle  they  all  seemed,  even  in  pushing  their  way  past 
the  Turkish  women  or  children,  who  were  making  their 
little  purchases  quite  alone  and  unprotected.  There  are 


AN  INTERNATIONAL  DIFFICULTY.  361 

Circassians,  Cossacks,  Finns,  and,  in  fact,  soldiers  from 
every  part  of  the  vast  Muscovite  empire.  Some  are  fine, 
handsome,  intelligent-looking  men,  while  others  appear 
fitted  to  hold  a position  in  the  social  scale  but  little  higher 
than  that  of  the  inhabitants  of  Tierra  del  Fuego.  All 
looked  more  or  less  stolid  and  indifferent. 

Having  brought  our  sight-seeing  to  an  end,  we  went  to 
call  on  the  consul,  whose  acquaintance  we  had  made  in 
Constantinople  in  1874.  We  found  him  engaged  in  an 
earnest  consultation  with  the  Austrian,  French,  and  other 
consuls,  as  to  an  occurrence  which  appeared  likely  at  the 
time  to  lead  to  somewhat  serious  consequences.  It  seemed 
that  an  Englishman,  named  Stock,  had  been  buying  up 
some  old  cartridges  with  the  object  of  melting  down  the 
lead  they  contained.  Having  separated  the  bullets  from 
the  powder,  he  had  collected  the  latter,  and  had  conveyed 
it  by  the  train,  a proceeding  which  was  contrary  to  the 
regulations  enforced  by  the  Russian  authorities.  They  had 
found  this  out,  had  arrested  him,  and  had  kept  him  a close 
prisoner  for  two  or  three  days.  A rumour  of  the  affair 
having  reached  his  ears,  the  consul  sent  to  enquire  into  the 
facts  of  the  case,  and  offered  to  take  charge  of  the  prisoner 
pending  further  investigations.  Mr.  Stock  was  accordingly 
sent  to  the  consulate  ; but  the  next  morning  the  Russians 
changed  their  minds,  for  they  made  a demand  that  he 
should  be  re-delivered  to  them,  and  on  the  refusal  of  the 
consul  to  comply  with  their  request  they  despatched  some 
soldiers  to  take  him  by  force.  The  consul  fastened  his 
door  ; the  soldiers  tried  to  force  it  open  with  their  shoulders, 
and,  failing  in  this  attempt,  they  broke  their  way  in  with  a 
hatchet,  and  carried  off  Mr.  Stock.  An  hour  later  he  was 


362 


EXODUS  OF  RUSSIAN  TROOPS. 


sent  back,  with  an  apology  from  the  Russian  commandant, 
but  the  violation  of  British  territory  {i.e.  the  consulate) 
was  considered  une  affaire  tres-grave  by  all  the  consuls.1 
Under  these  circumstances,  it  may  be  imagined  that  we 
found  some  amount  of  excitement  prevailing.  Mr.  Calvert, 
the  consul,  seemed  to  consider  our  visit  rather  opportune, 
as  he  was  desirous  of  sending  some  important  despatches 
to  Constantinople,  which  he  requested  us  to  take  charge 
of  in  order  to  ensure  their  safe  arrival.  The  Russians 
exercise  a strict  supervision  over  all  letters  and  telegrams 
sent  to  and  from  Adrianople.  Even  our  own  message 
from  Constantinople,  although  it  only  referred  to  the 
rooms  we  required,  had  been  detained  for  a couple  of 
days. 

After  leaving  the  consulate,  we  drove  quickly  back 
through  the  suburb  of  Tchergatasch,  where  many  of  the 
diplomats  and  rich  people  of  Adrianople  live,  though  all 
have  a summer  residence.  After  this  came  dinner,  and  then 
‘ early  to  bed.’  It  proved  a noisy  night,  for  artillery  and 
troops  were  moving  constantly,  nobody  knows  why  or 
where.  There  has  been  a great  exodus  from  Adrianople 
of  Russian  troops  during  the  last  few  days. 

It  was  impossible  to  sleep,  and  I lay  and  looked  out 
of  the  window  in  the  moonlight,  and  pictured  to  myself 
all  the  scenes  of  misery  that  had  taken  place  at  the  station 
close  by.  Men,  women,  and  children  used  to  sit  there  for 
days  in  long  lines  extending  nearly  a mile  on  either  side  of 
the  station,  waiting  for  a passage  by  one  of  the  few  passing 
trains,  clinging  frantically  to  steps  and  buffers  when  carriages 

1 This  transaction  attracted  a good  deal  of  attention  in  England  at  the 
time,  and  was  referred  to  in  all  the  papers. 


A TERRIBLE  MOMENT. 


363 


and  cattle-trucks  were  full,  only  to  be  dragged  away  and  left 
behind,  or  thrown  off  and  killed  at  the  first  curve  or 
sudden  jerk.  Carts  went  round  every  morning  to  carry  a 
little  coarse  food,  and  to  bring  away  the  dead.  One 
morning,  after  a severe  frost  and  heavy  snow,  six  cartloads 
of  little  children  were  carried  away  from  among  the  crowds 
of  refugees. 

Sunday , December  Zth—  We  were  called  at  4 a.m.,  and 
found  it  very  cold  and  dark.  After  a cup ' of  hot  coffee 
we  went  to  the  station,  which  was  crowded  with  Russian 
soldiers.  The  country  near  Adrianople,  which  we  had 
before  passed  in  the  dark,  is  much  more  interesting  than 
that  near  Constantinople,  which  consists  of  nothing  but 
bare  marsh  and  moor  land,  with  a few  scattered  villages, 
now,  alas!  burnt  and  abandoned.  The  train  was  very  long, 
and  full  of  Russian  soldiers.  At  every  station  there  were 
crowds  of  refugees  waiting  in  the  hope  of  obtaining  a 
passage.  At  Koulleli-Bourgas,  where  we  crossed  a wide 
river,  there  is  a branch  line  running  up  into  the  hills  to 
Durcos,  in  the  Balkans,  through  a country  that  looked 
quite  pretty. 

At  Sidler-Tchiflik  three  men  sprang  on  to  the  train 
just  as  it  was  starting,  and  clung  to  the  carriage-doors. 
The  guard  saw  them,  but  dared  not  push  them  off  for  fear 
of  killing  them,  yet  could  not  venture  to  stop  the  train  on 
account  of  the  delay  this  would  have  caused.  He  therefore 
beckoned  to  the  men  to  creep  slowly  along  the  side  of  the 
carriages  after  him.  It  was  a terrible  walk,  and  made  my 
blood  run  cold  to  see  it.  The  poor  men  were  wet,  benumbed, 
and  awkward.  Each  had  a bundle  on  his  shoulder — one 
on  a stick,  one  on  a gun,  one  on  a sword.  As  they  crept 


364 


ONCE  MORE  AT  CONSTANTINOPLE. 


slowly  along,  hanging  on  for  their  lives,  first  one  bundle, 
then  another,  dropped  off,  till  at  last,  after  an  agony  of 
suspense,  they  were  safely  landed  in  a cattle-truck,  having 
lost  the  very  little  all  that  they  possessed.  A similar  scene 
with  but  little  variation  was  repeated  several  times  in  the 
course  of  our  journey.  At  Tchorlou,  where  we  stopped 
three-quarters  of  an  hour,  the  other  passengers  seemed  to 
be  enjoying  a very  good  lunch.  In  two  adjoining  first-class 
compartments,  sitting  alone  in  solitary  grandeur,  were  a 


Refugees  on  the  Train. 


Russian  and  a Turkish  general  officer,  each  on  his  way  to 
inspect  the  troops  under  his  command. 

Constantinople  was  reached  about  7 p.m.,  and  we  were 
met  at  the  station  by  servants  and  sailors,  who  took  our 
luggage  straight  on  board.  We  had  to  go  up  to  Pera 
to  deliver  our  letters,  as  promised,  at  the  Embassy  and 
Mr.  Whittaker’s.  At  the  latter  place  we  found  that  Tom 
was  dining,  and  as  soon  as  our  friends  heard  we  were  at 


ARREST  OF  RAOUF  PASHA. 


365 


the  door,  they  insisted  on  our  going  in,  dirty  and  dis- 
hevelled as  we  felt  after  our  long  tiring  journey,  and 
spending  the  rest  of  the  evening  with  them,  instead  of 
carrying  out  our  original  intention  of  proceeding  direct  to 
the  yacht.  When  once  we  had  settled  down  and  got  over 
the  first  embarrassment  of  so  sudden  and  unexpected  an 
arrival,  we  spent  a very  pleasarxt  evening  in  the  company 
of  many  interesting  people,  including  the  Servian  and 
Swiss  ministers,  both  clever  men  ; Izzet  Bey,  the  husband 
of  the  Princess  Azizieh,  Major  A.,  one  of  the  Bulgarian 
commissioners  ; and  Djamil  Pasha,  who  was  governor  of 
Adrianople  at  the  time  of  the  evacuation  in  January.  We 
naturally  felt  the  greatest  interest  in  hearing  many  of  the 
details  of  the  latter  event  from  one  who  had  taken  so  pro- 
minent a part  therein,  particularly  as  we  had  just  returned 
from  the  scene  of  the  occurrences  described.  One  gentle- 
man who  had  been  expected  to  be  present  that  evening 
(Raouf  Pasha)  had  excused  himself  at  the  last  moment  on 
the  plea  of  illness.  We  afterwards  heard  that  the  real 
cause  of  his  absence  was  the  fact  that  he  had  been  arrested 
by  order  of  the  Sultan,  and  had  received  instructions  that 
he  was  not  to  leave  his  house  previous  to  his  departure  for 
Tripoli.  Many  other  arrests  were  made  the  same  evening, 
the  unfortunate  pashas  being  sent  off  into  exile  without 
the  slightest  warning. 

Our  host  was  for  many  years  the  editor  of  the  ‘ Levant 
Herald/  and  was  liked  and  respected  by  all  in  Constan- 
tinople, both  Europeans  and  Turks.  Unfortunately  he 
offended  the  government  of  the  country  by  some  remarks 
in  his  paper,  and  the  result  was  that  he  had  to  fly  for  his 
life,  only  escaping  with  great  difficulty.  He  waited  until 


366 


THE  EDITORS  PECCADILLO. 


the  affair  had  blown  over,  and  then  returned  to  Constanti- 
nople, where  he  now  edits  his  paper  again  though  under 
another  title. 

We  did  not  reach  the  yacht  until  nearly  midnight,  when 
we  were  all  glad  to  get  to  bed. 


Earrings  and  Necklet  in  one. 


CHAPTER  XI. 


CONSTANTINOPLE  AGAIN,  GALLIPOLI,  SYRA,  AND  MILO. 

The  more  a man  denies  himself  the  more  he  shall  obtain  from  God. 

Monday , December  gth. — We  had  an  appointment  at 
8.30  a.m.  with  the  new  Grand  Vizier,  Khaireddin  Pasha,  and 
accordingly  presented  ourselves  punctually  at  the  palace 
on  one  side  of  the  gate  of  Dolmabagtcheh.  His  suite  were 
waiting  to  receive  us,  and  beautiful  Turkey  carpets  had 
been  laid  across  the  muddy  garden  to  the  gateway.  Inside 
the  building  a blazing  fire  burned  in  a common  cheap 
grate,  set  in  a lovely  alabaster  mantelpiece.  The  silk 
divans  were  superbly  embroidered,  and  the  carpets  were 
all  hand-made.  Cigarettes  in  jewelled  holders  were  handed 
round,  as  well  as  coffee  in  cups  with  stands  thickly  en- 
crusted with  large  diamonds,  which  must  have  been  worth 
many  hundreds  of  pounds.  We  waited  and  waited,  but 
the  great  man  did  not  come  ; so,  in  spite  of  the  entreaties 
of  his  suite,  we  took  our  departure  and  returned  to  the 
yacht  to  breakfast.  About  midday  we  received  a message 
expressing  the  Vizier’s  deep  regret  at  not  having  kept  his 
appointment,  and  explaining  that  the  Sultan  had  sent  for 
him  at  twelve  last  night,  having  been  frightened  by  the 
rumour  of  a plot,  and  had  npver  allowed  him  to  leave  him 
or  even  to  lie  down  until  past  noon  to-day.  The  plot 
appears  to  have  had  no  existence  except  on  paper,  and  is 


368  THE  SULTAN’S  PARTNERSHIP  SCHEME. 


probably  an  invention  of  the  Sultan’s  doctor  and  lawyer, 
to  terrify  him,  and  cause  him  to  do  something  or  other 
which  they  wish. 

Among  other  fancies  the  Sultan  has  lately  acquired  a 
sudden  taste  for  farming,  and  he  now  wants  to  find  a 
bailiff  who  will  go  partners  with  him  in  a certain  number 
of  acres  : he  will  not  hear  of  paying  him  as  a servant.  A 
strange  and  sensible  idea  for  a Sultan  with  very  extra- 
vagant ideas  on  most  other  points  ! 

To-day  we  have  quite  an  embarras  of  dinner  invitations. 


Bulgarian  Child’s  Bracelet. 


But  we  have  been  engaged  for  some  time  past  to  dine 
with  some  old  friends,  to  meet  all  the  ambassadors.  Tom 
has  been  busy  all  day  on  board,  but  the  children  went  to 
see  the  mosques,  and  the  others  to  look  round  the  bazaars. 
Mabelle  and  I have  devoted  our  time  to  paying  farewell 
visits,  for  we  are  to  depart  to-morrow  if  fine.  One  or  two 
of  our  former  intimate  friends  denied  themselves  to  us,  as 
they  now  do  to  everyone,  from  a feeling  of  dislike  that 
their  altered  circumstances  should  be  seen.  But  how  little 
do  they  understand  the  admiration  with  which  one  would 


SELF-SACRIFICE  OF  TURKISH  LADIES.  369 


regard  rooms  emptied  of  their  splendid  ornaments,  and  the 
absence  of  jewels  and  precious  things,  when  one  knows 
that  they  have  been  sold  to  minister  to  the  relief  of  the  sick 
and  wounded  in  this  dreadful  war ! The  self-sacrifice  of 
the  Turkish  ladies  of  the  highest  rank  has  been  great,  and 
is  worthy  of  all  praise  and  honour,  but  they  are  still  a 
little  shy  and  sore  about  their  troubles.  Some  of  them 
were  at  home,  but  they  have  reduced  their  establishments 
considerably,  and  have  fewer  servants,  carriages,  and  horses 
than  before.  The  beautiful  ruby  and  diamond  coffee-cups 
are  gone,  but  their  late  owners  are  as  charming  as  ever. 
One  never  hears  a word  of  complaint  uttered. 

Mabelle  and  I got  on  board  rather  late  to  luncheon,  and 
soon  afterwards  .friends  arrived  from  the  bazaars.  From 
that  time  we  had  a continuous  stream  of  visitors.  When 
they  were  gone  I went  on  shore,  to  have  tea  with  Lady 
Layard,  and  met  many  interesting  people.  The  evening 
was  spent  at  a delightful  dinner  party,  and  it  was  very  late 
before  we  got  on  board  the  yacht. 

Tuesday , December  loth. — Still  a foul  wind  and  bad 
weather,  which  looks  as  if  it  may  last  for  a week.  Colonel 
Allix  and  Colonel  Baker,  V.C.,  came  to  breakfast,  and  to 
have  a look  at  the  yacht.  They  told  us  much  that  was 
interesting  about  the  recent  campaign,  which  they  both 
went  through  until  Colonel  Baker  was  taken  prisoner  by  the 
Russians.  He  referred  in  grateful  terms  to  Lady  Strang- 
ford,  who  must  have  been  the  means  of  saving  his  life  ; and 
both  of  them  spoke  most  highly  of  her  self-sacrificing 
conduct  and  economical  administration  of  the  funds  en- 
trusted to  her  care.  The  fortification  of  the  lines  seems 
to  have  proved  a wonderful  success.  All  agree  that  they 


370 


THE  ENGLISH  EMBASSY. 


are  perfectly  impregnable,  being  built  on  rising  slopes  com- 
manding a vast  extent  of  land,  with  a river  in  front,  and 
so  constructed  that  if  one  work  should  be  taken  nine  others 
can  fire  into  it.  The  authorities  are  very  particular  in  re- 
fusing permission  to  anybody  to  visit  them.  At  the  same 
time  there  is  not  the  slightest  doubt  that  either  a Russian 
disguised  as  a Turk,  or  a Turk  bought  by  the  Russians,  has 
got  it  all  at  his  fingers’  ends,  and  that  the  Russians  know  just 
as  much  about  the  fortifications  as  Baker  Pasha  himself. 

After  breakfast  we  started  off  in  caiques  across  the 
Golden  Horn  to  look  at  the  bazaars,  but  did  not  find  much 
to  reward  our  exertions.  It  was  very  rough  coming  back, 
ai?d  there  was  some  delay  about  the  boat.  There  seemed 
to  be  quite  a flotilla  of  boats  alongside,  and  when  we 
reached  the  yacht  in  our  modest  caique,  we  found  the 
Austrian  and  German  ambassadors  and  their  suites  were 
there  before  us.  Musurus  Pasha  and  many  others  also 
arrived  soon  after.  Later  on  I went  to  call  on  a friend, 
and  heard  more  about  this  pretended  plot  to  frighten  the 
Sultan  ; but  it  all  seemed  trivial  enough.  Tom  met  me  at 
the  Embassy,  where  we  dined,  and  saw  more  of  the  building 
than  we  had  hitherto  done,  as  it  was  lighted  up  in  order 
that  we  might  see  some  beautiful  copies  of  old  pictures, 
some  choice  cabinets,  and  rare  china  in  the  drawing-room. 
Originally  it  must  have  been  the  most  barracklike-looking 
building  imaginable,  though  the  walls  and  staircase  are 
lined  with  the  choicest  marbles,  and  the  present  occupants 
must  have  had  great  difficulties  to  contend  with  before  the 
house  could  be  made  to  look  as  homelike  and  pretty  as  it 
does  now.  We  heard  a great  deal  about  the  poor  refugees 
and  their  patient  uncomplaining  conduct  during  last  winter. 


HELPING  THE  REFUGEES. 


37 1 


They  came  in  by  thousands,  but  took  thankfully  what  was 
given  them,  helped  the  women  and  children  first,  and  never 
squabbled  among  themselves,  perishing  with  hunger  as  they 
were.  It  must  have  been  heart-breaking  work,  for,  give 
what  you  would  and  do  what  you  could,  it  was  all  a mere 
drop  in  the  ocean.  Mrs.  Hanson  takes  a great  interest  in 
the  refugees,  and  has  quite  a number  of  families  close  to 
her  at  Kandili.  She  feeds  and  clothes  them,  and  gives  them 
stuff  and  silks  to  embroider,  of  which  they  make  Turkish 
towels,  which  are  sold  at  from  2s.  to  12s.  each.  At  Therapia, 
the  other  day,  Sir  Henry  Layard  had  given  some  of  the 
men  work  in  road-mending,  which  they  were  to  do  in  return 
for  their  food.  Colonel  Blunt  was  riding  out  one  day,  when 
one  of  their  number  came  and  spoke  to  him,  and  remarked 
that  on  a previous  occasion,  when  on  a journey  through 
the  country,  he  had  entertained  him  at  his  house.  Colonel 
Blunt  perfectly  recollected  the  circumstance,  and  the  fact  that 
he  had  been  the  owner  of  a beautiful  house  and  garden  and 
estate,  and  was  the  kaimakam,  or  head  man  of  the  district — 
quite  a grand  personage.  Here  he  was  now  mending  roads, 
and  grateful  for  a little  rice  and  flour.  Fancy  an  English 
deputy-lieutenant,  or  even  a borough  mayor,  placed  in  the 
same  situation  ! And  the  kaimakam  has  a much  larger 
tract  of  country  under  his  control  than  either  of  those 
functionaries. 

Wednesday , December  nth. — A sudden  change  of  wind 
and  rise  of  the  barometer  caused  Tom  to  determine  to 
start  without  delay.  Such  a bustle  ensued  as  can  only  be 
imagined  by  those  who  have  gone  through  a similar  ordeal. 
Everybody  here  had  foretold  that  the  bad  weather  would 
last  at  least  another  week,  and  we  had  therefore  made  up 


372 


ON-DITS  ABOUT  CYPRUS. 


our  minds  to  remain  for  that  period.  Bills  had  now  to  be 
paid,  provisions  to  be  got  on  board,  and  letters  to  be  sent 
ashore  to  put  off  various  engagements. 

Several  friends,  hearing  of  our  sudden  decision  to  start, 
came  off  to  say  good-bye.  They  told  us  all  the  latest 
on  dits — amongst  others,  that  it  had  just  been  decided  that 
the  British  Government  were  to  retain  Cyprus  in  perpe- 
tuity, and  that  they  would  probably  also  occupy  some  spot 
on  the  mainland,  Alexandretta,  in  the  Gulf  of  Scanderoon, 
being  the  most  likely  place.  I believe  it  would  be  frightfully 
unhealthy,  though  glorious  for  a sportsman.  I have  heard 
that  the  game-book  of  a naval  officer  stationed  at  Bayas, 
near  Alexandretta,  contained  the  record  of  no  less  than 
two  thousand  head  of  game  of  every  sort,  killed  between 
the  months  of  November  and  April  ; and  this  without  any 
expense,  except  for  powder  and  shot. 

Mabelle  and  Phillips,  who  had  been  ashore  to  do  the 
last  commissions,  came  on  board  about  11.30  a.m.  We  had 
got  under  sail  previously,  and  were  standing  off  towards 
Skutari.  The  blue-peter  had  been  hoisted,  and  soon  the 
last  farewells  were  said,  and  we  were  gliding  away,  all  too 
quickly,  past  the  Golden  Horn,  the  Seraglio  Point,  and 
old  Stamboul,  with  its  numberless  minarets  and  domes. 
Hundreds  of  ships  had  taken  advantage  of  the  fair  breeze 
to  start  at  the  same  time,  and  we  were  all  constantly  passing 
and  repassing  one  another,  as  winds  and  currents  dropped 
and  changed.  At  one  time  we  were  sailing  abreast  of 
eight  brigs,  and  for  some  few  minutes  no  one  of  the  number 
gained  much  on  his  neighbour.  The  afternoon  was  warm 
and  damp,  with  rain,  instead  of  the  bitter  cold  and  snow 
from  the  Black  Sea  that  had  been  prophesied  to  us.  The 


ANCHORED  AT  GALLIPOLI. 


373 


breeze  ceased,  and  the  wind  gradually  veered  round  by  the 
west  to  the  south.  After  dinner  we  resumed  our  long 
interrupted  games  of  whist.  During  the  night  the  wind 
came  strong  ahead,  and  then  fell  to  a calm. 

Thursday , December  12 th. — A calm  morning,  steam  up 
at  6 a.m.  Strong  head  wind,  increasing  to  a smart  gale. 
Tom  decided  to  take  shelter  at  Lampsaki  or  Gallipoli,  and 


Children’s  Nursery. 


finally  chose  the  latter  place,  as  affording  the  best  protec- 
tion. We  had  great  difficulty,  first  to  get  there,  and  then 
to  pick  up  an  anchorage.  We  found  a spot  at  last,  let  go 
an  anchor  with  80  fathoms  of  chain,  another  with  60 
fathoms,  and  continued  steaming  up  to  them  till  the  weather 
moderated  late  in  the  afternoon.  The  waves  ran  tremen- 
dously high,  breaking  right  over  some  of  the  houses  in  the 
town.  While  we  were  at  luncheon,  the  boarding  officer 


374 


SHOPPING  EXPEDITION. 


from  the  ‘Flamingo’  came  alongside  in  a big  steam  launch, 
and  offered  to  take  us  ashore.  We  gladly  availed  ourselves 
of  the  opportunity,  children  and  all : it  would  have  been 
quite  impossible  for  our  own  boats  to  reach  the  shore.  We 
always  make  a point  of  getting  a run  ashore  whenever  we 
can,  as  it  makes  an  enormous  difference  in  the  apparent 
length  of  the  passage,  especially  when  we  are  likely  to 
have  bad  weather,  and  to  be  constantly  obliged  to  put 
backj  as  I fear  is  only  too  probable  at  this  time  of  the  year. 
We  were  well  covered  up  under  the  hood,  or  we  should 
have  been  drenched,  for  the  launch  was  very  fast,  and  went 
through  rather  than  over  the  waves.  Having  got  within 
shelter  of  the  little  fort,  we  were  able  to  land  in  comfort. 
Phillips  went  with  the  captain’s  steward  to  try  and  get 
fresh  provisions,  while  the  rest  of  us  started  on  a shopping 
and  bargaining  expedition.  There  was  not  much  to  buy, 
but  we  succeeded  in  getting  some  rahatlakoum  and  some 
quaint  old  silver,  but  we  bargained  too  long  for  some  curi- 
ous antique  cartouche  boxes,  and  lost  them.  Going  off  in 
the  steam  launch  was  a far  worse  job  than  landing  had 
been,  but  we  managed  it  pretty  well  and  kept  tolerably 
dry.  Just  about  dusk  the  ‘Temeraire’  came  steaming  in. 
She  had  been  up  in  Artaki  Bay,  practising  steam  tactics  in 
the  Sea  of  Marmora  with  the  rest  of  the  fleet.  We  had 
taken  up  almost  the  only  available  berth,  and  it  was  won- 
derful to  see  how  well  with  her  twin  screws  she  came  close 
round  us,  turned  in  her  own  length,  then  went  back  again 
and  turned  round  once  more,  like  a dog  making  itself  a 
comfortable  bed,  till  her  captain  found  a place  he  liked. 

Some  of  the  officers  dined  with  us  in  the  evening,  and 
we  heard  a good  deal  about  the  Russians,  of  whose  mode 


RUSSIAN  DECEIT. 


375 


of  proceeding  they  did  not  seem  in  every  case  to  have 
formed  a very  favourable  opinion.  A few  days  ago  a 
Russian  officer  was  invited  to  breakfast  on  board  an 
English  man-of-war  at  Bourgas.  When  he  arrived  he  pro- 
fessed not  to  understand  a word  of  English,  and  listened  to 
the  conversation  that  was  going  on  with  stolid  indifference. 
Presently  the  British  Vice-Consul  came  on  board,  when  it 
transpired  that  the  Russian  spoke  English  much  better 
than  French,  his  mother  having  been  an  Englishwoman. 
A somewhat  similar  incident  had  occurred  on  board  another 
of  our  ships,  where  one  of  the  visitors  had  appeared  to  be 
greatly  interested  in  the  case  of  a certain  Russian  officer 
who  had  been  taken  prisoner  by  the  Turks,  and  as  to  whose 
treatment  some  complaint  had  been  made.  It  was  after- 
wards discovered  that  the  visitor  was  no  other  than  the 
prisoner  himself,  who  had  recently  been  released  on  parole 
by  the  Turks. 

Friday,  December  13  th. — I was  awake  at  6 a.m.  As  the 
wind  was  much  lighter  and  the  glass  rather  higher,  Tom 
determined  to  start  at  once,  and  would  not  even  let  Phillips 
go  ashore,  to  pick  up  the  provisions  he  had  ordered,  though 
after  all  we  did  not  start  until  8 a.m.  Having  sent  a large 
mail  on  board  the  ‘ Temeraire  ’ for  postage,  and  received 
some  more  papers,  we  exchanged  salutes,  and  went  on  our 
way  under  steam  down  the  narrow  strait  of  the  Dardanelles. 
As  we  had  to  stay  at  Chanak-Kalesi  to  leave  our  firman, 
some  of  the  party  went  on  shore.  Going  to  the  consul’s 
house,  we  saw  a long  train  of  camels  which  had  just  come 
into  the  town,  and  went  into  the  stable  to  examine  them. 
They  were  handsomer  than  any  of  the  camels  one  sees  in 
Africa,  their  bodies  were  covered  with  nice  curly  woolly 


376 


CONFUSION  IN  THE  NURSERY, . 


hair,  and  they  had  not  so  many  unsightly  galls  and  bruises 
and  bare  patches. 

It  was  a lovely  day,  very  hot,  with  a bright  sun  and 
light  south-westerly  wind,  rapidly  increasing  as  we  got 
into  the  open  sea,  the  glass  at  the  same  time  falling.  We 
made  the  light  on  Cape  Sigri  about  9 p.m.,  and  soon  began 
to  roll  and  pitch  in  a most  unpleasant  manner.  I went  to 
bed  early,  but  got  up  about  midnight,  and  we  all  passed  a 
miserable  night.  No  one  on  board  had  ever  known  so  stiff 
a gale  before,  except  Tom  and  those  who  were  with  him 
when  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  in  the  ‘ Eothen,’  and  was 
caught  in  a cyclone.  It  had  been  smooth  till  we  were  well 
past  Cape  Sigri,  the  servants  had  gone  to  bed  without 
arranging  for  a rough  night,  and  things  were  therefore 
tumbling  about,  and  the  stewards  had  to  be  called  to  put 
them  straight.  Phillips,  the  head  steward,  who  is  a man 
of  a decidedly  nervous  temperament,  and  who  always  sleeps 
half-dressed,  ready  to  jump  up  at  a moment’s  notice,  in 
case  anything  alarming  should  happen  in  the  night,  ap- 
peared promptly.  He  looked  somewhat  scared,  and  pre- 
sented the  peculiarly  dishevelled  appearance  of  a person 
who  has  been  to  bed  in  his  clothes.  Upon  some  reference 
being  made  to  this  point,  he  remarked  that  there  were  too 
many  rocks  ahead  for  him  to  feel  justified  in  taking  his 
clothes  off.  The  scene  in  the  nursery  was  one  of  unparal- 
leled confusion,  as  all  in  that  department  had  retired  to 
bed  at  8 p.m.,  when  the  sea  was  as  smooth  as  glass.  No 
lee-boards  had  been  put  up,  and  many  catastrophes  hap- 
pened in  consequence.  Fortunately  both  maids  and  chil- 
dren took  it  in  a cheery  way,  and,  in  spite  of  their  being 
very  sick  sometimes,  I heard  much  more  laughing  than 


GULF  OF  ADRAMYTIUM. 


377 


crying  proceeding  from  their  part  of  the  vessel.  On  deck 
it  was  almost  impossible  to  speak  or  even  to  breathe,  the 
wind  was  so  strong : the  clouds  looked  as  though  chasing 
each  other  wildly  through  the  sky.  Providentially  it  was 
a clear  bright  night,  or  our  danger  would  have  been  great, 
surrounded  as  we  were  by  islands,  without  any  lights  on 
them,  in  the  midst  of  this  raging  sea  and  roaring  wind. 
We  hove-to  for  some  time,  but  when  we  tried  to  go  round, 
the  ‘ Sunbeam  ’ declined  to  obey  her  helm,  and  at  last  we 
had  to  wear  instead  of  tacking.  The  rigging  and  stays 
that  support  the  masts  had  got  loose,  from  much  wear  and 
tear,  and  the  masts  were  aback.  We  had  very  little  coal 
or  water  on  board,  so  that  in  a really  heavy  sea  the  vessel 
had  scarcely  sufficient  hold  of  the  water  for  her  rudder. 
At  last  we  rounded  and  ran  before  the  gale,  but  when  we 
got  under  the  island  of  Mitylene  the  wind  had  followed  us 
round,  and  it  proved  no  shelter.  Tom  was  afraid  to  go 
further  till  daylight,  and  how  intensely  we  longed  for  the 
dawn  I need  hardly  say,  as  we  tossed  and  tumbled  about 
on  the  waves,  the  wind  howling  and  the  sea  roaring. 

Saturday , December  — The  much  longed-for  day- 

light came  at  last.  We  ran  on  into  the  Gulf  of  Adramytium, 
and  found  shelter  and  good  holding  ground  in  a little  bay 
at  about  9.30  a.m.  It  had  been  smoother  for  two  or  three 
hours,  but  it  was  a great  comfort  to  be  really  in  tranquil 
water  at  last  in  this  quiet  little  bay,  which  put  me  in  mind 
of  a fiord  in  Norway,  with  the  green  trees  growingdown  to 
the  water’s  edge,  and  the  high  mountains  behind.  The 
rain  came  down  in  sheets  all  the  morning,  but  after 
luncheon  we  managed  to  get  ashore,  though  it  continued 
to  pour  in  torrents,  and  the  paths  were  like  watercourses. 


378 


YENI-LIMA  N. 


The  walk,  however,  did  us  more  good  than  sitting  still  on 
board,  thinking  how  rough  it  had  been,  and  wondering 
when  the  weather  would  change.  Yeni-liman  is  evidently 
a port  of  call  for  small  coasters,  the  only  houses  being 
stores  of  all  sorts  of  useful  things.  We  met  many  mules 
coming  down  from  the  interior  laden  with  pigskins  full  of 
olive  oil.  Nothing  except  eggs,  chickens,  and  vegetables 


Braving  the  Elements. 


could  be  procured,  and  our  want  of  knowledge  of  the 
language  added  considerably  to  the  difficulty  of  bargaining. 

It  seemed  set  calm  and  fair  when  we  went  on  board  ; 
but  in  the  middle  of  the  night  the  wind  chopped  right  round, 
and  it  blew  so  hard  from  the  north-east  that  we  were 
obliged  to  get  up  steam  to  avoid  being  driven  on  shore. 

S?tnday,  December  i$th. — Under  way  by  7.15  a.m., 
with  a fair  wind,  but  steam  had  to  be  kept  up,  as  the 
channels  were  narrow.  We  proceeded  alongside  the 


CHIOS ; TENOS , SYRA. 


37  9 


island  of  Lesbos  till  we  came  in  sight  of  the  capital, 
Mitylene,  a large  straggling  town,  or  rather  three  towns 
joined  into  one,  with  a fine  mediaeval  castle.  Passing 
the  promontory  of  Kara  Bournou  on  the  mainland,  we 
steamed  along  the  shores  of  the  island  of  Chios.  The 
pilotage  was  too  intricate  in  the  morning  for  Tom  to  be 
able  to  read  prayers,  but  we  had  service  in  the  afternoon 
at  4 p.m.,  and  about  5 p.m.  passed  the  town  of  Chios.  I 
wonder  if  our  old  passenger,  the  French  Consul,  recognised 
the  ‘ Sunbeam  ’ in  her  new  white  dress. 

Monday , December  16th. — It  was  really  too  hot  to  sleep 
last  night,  and  the  oppression  of  the  thunder  in  the  air 
made  me  so  restless  that  I got  up  at  1 a.m.  and  spent  the 
remainder  of  the  night  on  deck.  We  passed  the  island  of 
Tenos,  and  made  Syra  light  on  the  island  of  Gaidaro 
about  1.45  a.m.  At  4.45  a.m.  we  anchored  inside  the  mole, 
and  then  I went  to  bed. 

The  town  of  Syra  from  the  anchorage  is  very  pretty 
and  clean-looking,  just  like  a lot  of  little  toy  houses  taken 
out  of  a child’s  wooden  box  and  set  on  three  pinnacles  of 
rock,  and  painted  blue,  white,  red,  and  green.  There 
are  no  trees  to  be  seen  anywhere,  and  the  rocks  look 
horribly  barren  and  bare.  I believe,  however,  that  a large 
supply  of  vegetables  is  exported  to  Constantinople  and 
other  ports  ; but  they  must  be  grown  in  terraced  gardens 
behind  walls,  as  they  are  not  to  be  seen.  We  landed  about 
11.30  a.m.  on  a crowded  quay.  The  streets  were  clean, 
and  everybody  seemed  active  and  full  of  business.  We 
went  to  call  on  the  vice-consul,  who,  after  attending  to  our 
business,  kindly  sent  his  man  with  us  to  an  antiquity  shop 
at  the  very  top  of  the  upper  town.  Such  a climb  it  was, 


380 


THE  'TRUE’  CROSS. 


up  steps  and  steps  and  steps,  exposed  to  the  sun,  and 
sheltered  from  the  wind.  The  proprietor  had  unfortunately 
just  been  over  to  Athens,  and  had  disposed  of  the  best  part 
of  his  collection  ; so  we  found  only  some  pretty  old  silver 
cups  and  one  very  good  carved  cross,  with  a small  bit  of 
the  ‘ true  ’ cross  let  into  wax  at  the  top.  This  made  it 
very  precious,  and  caused  the  bargain  to  be  a long  one 
before  the  difference  between  the  price  asked  and  that 


Syra. 

offered  could  be  adjusted.  We  walked  down  to  the  Hotel 
de  la  Ville  afterwards,  in  the  square,  where  they  gave  us 
a very  good  luncheon  and  some  excellent  Greek  wine. 
Afterwards  Mabelle,  Muriel,  and  1 mounted  donkeys,  the 
gentlemen  walking,  and  we  started  for  a climb  up  the  hills 
at  the  back  of  the  town,  from  which  there  are  charming 
views  over  the  sea  and  the  adjacent  islands.  Tenos  is  not 
far  distant,  with  its  perched-up  white  villages,  and  right 


WEATHER  PROGNOSTICATIONS. 


38i 


opposite  is  Delos.  Our  muleteer  took  us  to  a beautifully 
cultivated  garden,  irrigated  by  an  old  Moorish  wheel  with 
earthenware  vases  bound  to  it  with  twisted  branches. 
There  were  no  flowers  in  bloom,  but  the  gardener  gave  us 
oranges  and  lemons  and  a bouquet  of  myrtle,  geraniums, 
and  verbena. 

We  were  soon  back  in  the  town  and  glad  to  get  on 
board  and  have  the  pleasure  of  unpacking  some  boxes  of 
new  books,  newspapers,  stores,  and  all  sorts  of  useful 
things,  which  have  just  arrived.  Last  night  has  not  agreed 
with  either  Tom  or  me,  and  we  are  both  very  sorry  for 
ourselves  to-day.  To-morrow  we  have  arranged  to  go  to 
a bay  on  the  other  side  of  the  island,  where  the  south  - 
westerly  gale  breaks  in  its  full  force,  and  the  waves  are 
something  grand  to  see. 

Tuesday , December  \jth. — The  wind  seemed  rather 
more  fair,  though  the  glass  was  still  low.  We  therefore 
sent  telegrams  and  letters  on  shore,  and  once  more  made 
a start  for  old  England  under  sail.  If  we  had  not  been  so 
anxious  to  get  back,  we  should  certainly  have  hesitated, 
with  the  glass  at  only  29-80,  to  commence  the  voyage, 
when  we  had  been  told  so  often  that  at  this  time  of  the 
year,  whatever  direction  the  wind  may  take,  the  weather 
can  never  be  depended  upon  unless  the  barometer  stands 
well  over  30.  Still,  though  29-80  may  not  prognosticate 
settled  weather,  it  is  scarcely  low  enough  to  make  one  fear 
a really  bad  gale.  We  got  out  of  the  harbour  successfully, 
and  in  the  course  of  the  day  passed  Serpho,  sailed  between 
Siphanto,  Paros,  and  Antiparos,  and  at  dark  had  Polykandro 
right  ahead.  Paros  is  a very  fertile-looking  island,  with 
Mount  Elias,  2,280  feet  high,  rising  in  its  midst  ; and  there 


382 


IN  FOR  A HURRICANE. 


is  a large  long  straggling  town  of  white  houses,  with  many 
monasteries  scattered  about,  visible  from  the  sea.  It  was 
originally  built  at  that  height  on  account  of  the  pirates 
who  infested  the  island.  The  weather  to-day  has  been  cold 
and  unpleasant,  the  wind  so  shy  that  we  were  obliged  to 
be  close-hauled.  During  the  night  the  wind  came  on  a 
little  freer,  and  we  passed  Milo,  the  glass  rather  inclined  to 
rise. 

Wednesday , December  18th,  was  indeed  an  eventful  day, 
and  if  our  friends  in  England  could  only  have  seen  us,  they 
would  have  felt  much  anxiety  on  our  account  and  have 
given  us  much  pity.  It  was  terribly  rough  when  I first 
woke  and  groped  my  way  on  deck  in  the  dark  and  by 
8 a.m.  we  hove-to  in  a fearful  gale  under  a trysail  and 
reefed  canvas.  Three  times  did  we  try  to  get  the  yacht 
round  under  her  mizen,  but  she  utterly  refused.  The  stays 
and  rigging  that  support  her  masts  will  have  to  be  seen 
to  as  soon  as  we  get  into  port,  or  they  will  be  getting 
us  into  trouble. 

The  wind  blew  harder  even  than  on  last  Friday,  I 
think,  or  else  we  were  more  fully  exposed  to  its  fury.  It 
howled  and  roared,  and  really  seemed  to  scream  in  the 
rigging,  as  the  sudden  blasts  rushed  wildly  by.  A tre- 
mendous sea  was  running,  and  there  appeared  to  be  every 
prospect  of  the  weather  getting  worse.  I therefore  tried 
hard  to  persuade  Tom  to  run  back  to  Milo,  but  he  was  loth 
to  lose  twenty  miles  of  the  distance  we  had  gained  with  so 
much  trouble  yesterday.  The  glass  kept  falling,  falling,  till 
at  last,  about  12.30  p.m.,  he  consented  to  put  the  yacht  round, 
and  then  we  had  a dusting.  Although  we  shipped  only  one 
really  big  sea  just  as  we  were  going  about,  it  was  quite 


ANXIOUS  MOMENTS. 


383 


enough  to  make  everything  very  wet  and  uncomfortable. 
Once  round,  she  rode  the  waves  like  a cork,  though  the  water 
poured  over  her  lee  rail — which  must  be  at  least  ten  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  sea — like  a cascade,  and  the  boats, 
three  or  four  feet  above  that  again,  were  frequently  full  of 
water,  and  in  imminent  danger  of  being  torn,  or  rather  lifted, 
from  their  davits.  It  was  indeed  an  anxious  time,  and  very 
risky  work  running  before  a gale  like  this,  almost  under 
bare  poles,  close  to  a lee  shore.  I cannot  recollect  ever 
in  my  life  seeing  Tom  more  anxious.  It  was  a grand 
sight,  though,  to  see  the  huge  waves  tearing  alongside  of 
us,  threatening  every  moment  to  engulf  us  altogether  ; 
rushing  along  the  channels,  dashing  up  the  rigging,  pouring 
over  the  lee  rail  like  a fountain,  while  still  we  went  rushing 
along  faster  and  faster  before  it  and  with  it.  Sometimes 
we  seemed  to  fly  before  the  gale,  and  sometimes  the  gale 
seemed  to  tear  past  us.  It  was  a great  relief  to  every- 
body on  board  when  at  last  the  order  was  given  to  jibe. 
No  sooner  was  it  carried  out  than  we  were  in  compara- 
tive shelter  from  the  fury  of  the  sea  round  the  point  of 
Milo. 

But  the  strength  of  the  gale  still  seemed  to  increase, 
the  wind  blew  harder  than  ever.  All  the  morning  it  had 
been  impossible  to  light  the  fires,  either  for  steaming  or 
cooking  ; but  as  soon  as  we  had  begun  to  run,  and  it  was 
possible  to  do  so,  fires  had  been  lighted  in  case  steam 
might  be  wanted.  Very  fortunate  it  was  that  this  had 
been  done,  for  just  as  we  thought  we  were  safe  inside  the 
long  harbour  of  Milo,  we  found  the  yacht  would  not  fetch 
it.  Oh!  the  disappointment  of  that  moment,  when  we 
thought  all  our  miseries  and  dangers  were  over ! We  had 


384 


4 SHALL  WE  DO  IT?' 


to  wait  three  long  quarters  of  an  hour  hove-to  at  the 
mouth  of  the  harbour  till  steam  was  up.  We  drifted 
slowly  out  to  sea  and  to  leeward.  All  the  time  there  was 
the  certain  knowledge  that  if  we  once  drifted  outside  a 
particular  spot  before  steam  was  ready  we  should  have  no 
choice  but  to  go  out  to  sea  again  and  weather  it  out  as 
best  we  could.  Never  did  fires  seem  so  long  in  burning 
up.  The  firemen  were  urged  to  use  their  utmost  efforts  ; 
the  anxiety  of  the  last  five  or  ten  minutes  was  terrible,  as 
we  watched  the  bow  of  the  yacht  slowly  drifting  outwards 
past  that  particular  rock.  At  last,  not  a moment  too  soon, 
the  joyful  sound  of  the  order  ‘ Full  speed  ahead’  was  heard. 
Once  more  our  angel  figure-head  with  outspread  wings 
pointed  shorewards  to  a harbour  of  refuge,  and  slowly, 
very  slowly,  we  steamed  up  the  long  harbour  against  this 
most  fearful  gale.  It  must  have  been  something  like  a 
typhoon,  I imagine.  Of  course  here  we  were  much  shel- 
tered by  the  shore,  and  the  sea  was  comparatively  smooth. 

We  passed  the  town  of  Castro,  near  the  mouth  of  the 
harbour,  high  perched  on  a pinnacle  of  rock,  and  proceeded 
up  the  harbour  towards  Scala,  the  capital  of  the  island. 
Now,  as  the  gulf  or  natural  harbour  lies  N.W.  and  S.E.,  the 
wind  was  blowing  right  on  shore  at  Scala,  the  usual  anchor- 
age ; so  Tom  thought  it  better  to  anchor  on  the  opposite 
side,  under  shelter  of  the  land  and  Mount  Elias.  It  was 
quite  dark  by  this  time,  and  therefore  by  no  means  an  easy 
thing  to  pick  up  an  anchorage  in  the  present  state  of  the 
weather ; but  here  his  piloting  talent  came  out,  and  he 
succeeded  in  finding  a capital  berth.  The  difficulty  was 
much  increased  by  the  fact  that  a piece  of  low  land  stretch- 
ing along  the  shore,  with  a range  of  low  hills  behind,  in 


REST  AT  LAST. 


385 


the  shadow  of  the  mountain,  makes  it  almost  impossible  to 
judge  the  exact  distance  from  the  shore.  I was  quite 
surprised  when  I saw  the  next  morning  what  a favourable 
spot  had  been  secured. 

‘ Let  go  the  anchor  ’ is  generally  a welcome  sound,  but 
to-night  it  was  specially  so.  As  one  after  another  went 
down,  with  tens  of  fathoms  of  chain,  Tom  heaved  a deep 
sigh  of  relief.  It  had.  been  indeed  a trying  day  for  him. 
Many  lives  were  in  his  hand — forty-two  precious  souls. 
All  the  way  round  the  world  we  had  had  nothing  like  it, 
and  he  really  looked  ten  years  older  for  the  trial  and  re- 
sponsibility of  the  day.  With  two  anchors  down,  seventy- 
five  fathoms  of  chain  on  each,  and  steaming  ahead,  steer- 
ing our  course,  and  with  a full  sea  watch  on  deck,  we 
managed  to  get  through  the  night  pretty  comfortably, 
though  between  1 1 p.m.  and  1 a.m.  the  gale  increased  in 
fury;  and  even  tn  this  sheltered  place  the 'men  could  not 
walk  along  the  deck,  but  were  obliged  to  crawl  from  rope 
to  rope  under  the  lee  of  the  bulwarks  as  best  they  could. 
Dinner  in  tolerable  peace  after  such  a day  as  we  had  expe- 
rienced was  a great  comfort,  and  we  were  full  of  plans  for 
the  morrow. 

We  were  at  Milo  four  years  ago  for  a day,  and  had  a 
charming  walk  and  ride,  between  walls  built  of  fragments 
of  sculpture  and  many-coloured  marbles,  to  the  quaint  little 
town  of  Castro,  whence  there  is  a most  lovely  view  ; then 
back  to  the  amphitheatre,  where  there  are  still  remains  of 
fine  statuary  and  splendid  marble  columns.  Anybody 
with  patience,  money,  and  permission  to  dig,  might  reap  a 
rich  harvest  here.  There  are  many  antiquities  to  be  picked 
up  among  the  islanders,  and  as  steamers  do  not  touch  here, 


386 


M ELIAN  ANTIQUITIES . 


and  there  is  not  a ready  sale  for  curiosities,  they  are  not 
extravagant  in  price,  and  are  moreover  all  genuine.  We 
propose  to  make  to-morrow  a somewhat  similar  expedi- 
tion to  the  one  we  made  in  1874,  and  the  children  are 
anxiously  looking  forward  to  their  donkey  ride. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

MILO  TO  MALEA  AND  MALTA. 

Thus  let  me  live , unseen,  unknown, 

Thus  unlamented  let  me  die  ; 

Steal  from  the  world,  and  not  a stone 
Tell  where  I lie. 

Thursday , December  igtk.  — After  blowing  its  very 
hardest,  the  wind  suddenly  lulled  and  went  round  at  2.30 
a.m.  The  first  thing  I heard  when  I woke  at  7 a.m.  was 
that  we  were  to  be  off  in  half  an  hour.  This  was  a great 
disappointment  to  us  all,  both  to  those  who  had  been  here 
before,  and  wanted  to  see  the  place  again,  and  also  to 
those  who  were  visiting  it  for  the  first  time.  The  children 
were  mad  at  losing  their  donkey  ride,  and  the  steward 
much  upset  at  not  having  a chance  of  getting  ashore  to 
procure  some  fresh  provisions.  Mabelle  and  the  doctor 
were  specially  disappointed,  as  their  expectations  had  been 
highly  raised  by  our  descriptions  last  night  I tried  hard 
to  persuade  Tom  to  remain  even  for  a few  hours,  if  only 
just  to  let  us  run  ashore  ; but  he  was  determined,  and  I 
could  not  but  concur  in  the  wisdom  of  his  decision,  con- 
sidering the  constant  succession  of  gales  we  have  had  and 
may  expect,  the  delay  they  have  caused  us,  and  our  wish 
to  be  in  England  as  soon  as  possible.  He  himself  was 
quite  recruited  by  his  night’s  rest,  and  as  fresh  as  ever  again. 


388 


CAPE  MALEA. 


We  were  therefore  under  way  by  7.30  a.m.,  and  had  no 
sooner  started  than  we  began  to  feel  the  force  of  the 
heavy  swell.  The  wind,  though  fair,  was  too  light  to  do 
any  good,  either  in  keeping  down  the  sea  or  in  enabling  us 
to  sail.  We  made  good  way  against  it  under  steam,  how- 
ever, and,  after  making  Falconera  and  Karavi  rocks  about 
noon,  we  passed  between  Cape  Malea  on  the  mainland 
and  the  island  of  Cerigo  a little  before  dusk. 

Cape  Malea  is  a fine  bold  promontory,  almost  inacces- 
sible from  the  sea,  except  on  one  little  spot,  where  a hermit 
has  built  himself  a house.  Several  of  our  men  have  been  on 
shore  in  the  neighbourhood  of  his  retreat  during  various 
trips  up  and  down  the  Mediterranean,  but  have  never 
spoken  to  him  or  seen  him  at  close  quarters.  They  all 
agree,  however,  in  describing  him  as  a very  old  man  with  a 
long  grey  beard  reaching  down  to  his  waist.  The  little  plot 
of  land  that  is  not  absolutely  precipitous  near  his  house  is 
beautifully  cultivated  in  terraces,  and  he  has  a small  herd  of 
goats  and  a few  fowls.  Many  steamers  and  yachts  make  a 
point  of  calling  here,  to  leave  him  a few  biscuits  and  a little 
oil.  They  blow  the  steam  whistle  and  lower  a boat,  and 
the  old  hermit  comes  to  the  shore  and  brings  whatever 
produce  he  has  to  spare  (cabbages,  milk,  fowls,  eggs),  leaves 
it  on  the  beach,  and  retires  to  a cave  close  by.  The  boat’s 
crew  land  and  take  the  things,  leaving  in  their  place  what- 
ever they  have  brought.  As  soon  as  they  have  rowed  a 
little  way  off,  the  hermit  comes  and  takes  possession  of 
his  part  of  the  exchange.  He  trusts  entirely  to  the 
generosity  of  his  visitors,  and  I hope,  for  the  honour  of 
mankind,  that  he  is  never  cheated.  The  story  goes  that 
the  hermit  was  originally  a shipowner  of  Athens,  and 


THE  OLD  HERMIT 


389 


always  commanded  one  of  his  own  ships.  Three  times  did 
he  run  ashore  on  this  rocky  point,  on  each  occasion  losing 
his  ship  and  many  of  his  crew.  At  last  in  despair,  he 
vowed  never  to  speak  to  anyone  again, 
and  to  spend  the  remainder  of  his  life 
in  doing  penance  for  his  misfortunes  on 
this  solitary  cape,  with  which  there  is 
no  communication  except 
by  sea.  We  whistled  and 
whistled,  but  could  not 
induce  him  to  appear,  and 


Hermit  of  Male  a. 


as  night  was  falling,  and  we  were  pressed  for  time,  we  did 
not  land  on  the  mere  chance  of  seeing  him.  We  steamed 
quietly  on  all  through  the  night  without  any  excitement 
or  adventure. 

Friday , December  20 th. — A fair  breeze  early,  which 


390 


OUR  HOMEWARD  ROUTE. 


soon  dropped.  The  funnel  was  lowered,  but  had  to  be  raised 
shortly  afterwards,  and  we  steamed  throughout  the  day 
against  a heavy  head  swell  and  a light  head  wind. 

Saturday , December  21  st. — At  midnight  we  got  a 
breeze,  had  the  mizen  up  directly,  and  stopped  steaming 
at  1 a.m.  Fair  wind  till  6 a.m.,  head  wind  all  day,  close- 
hauled.  There  were  many  discussions  as  to  the  best  plan 
of  future  proceedings,  and  as  to  whether  we  should  go  to 
Malta,  to  pick  up  our  letters  and  parcels,  or  keep  straight 
on  to  Sicily,  for  which  the  wind  was  fairer.  Then  it  became 
a question  whether,  after  Malta  or  Sicily,  the  children  and  I 
should  be  landed  at  Malaga,  Algiers, or  Marseilles,  to  find  our 
way  home.  The  subject  has  been  discussed  so  frequently, 
and  our  plans  changed  so  often,  that  I feel  quite  as  tired  as 
if  I had  made  the  journey  at  least  three  times. 

Sunday , December  2 2nd. — A very  heavy  sea  all  day.  I 
stayed  in  bed,  and  read  and  wrote  until  noon.  Tom  read 
service  at  11.30  a.m.,  but  had  a scanty  congregation,  as 
the  weather  was  rough  and  disagreeable.  In  the  afternoon 
it  was  rather  better,  and  we  had  service  at  4 p.m.  While 
the  service  was  going  on  a heavy  squall  came  up,  and 
the  congregation  was  obliged  to  disperse  rapidly,  as  it  in- 
creased to  a strong  gale.  We  hoped  that  Malta  would 
have  been  visible  from  the  cross-trees  at  sunset ; but  no, 
not  even  at  9 p.m.  could  the  light  be  seen.  It  was  very 
rough,  and  we  all  turned  in  early. 

I think  that  at  last  the  battle  of  eighteen  years  is  ac- 
complished, and  that  the  bad  weather  we  have  so  continu- 
ously experienced  since  we  left  Constantinople,  comprising 
five  gales  in  eleven  days,  has  ended  by  making  me  a good 
sailor.  For  the  last  two  days  I have  really  known  what 


PRINCESS  ALICE’S  DEATH. 


39 1 

it  is  to  feel  absolutely  well  at  sea,  even  when  it  is  very 
rough,  and  have  been  able  to  eat  my  meals  in  comfort, 
and  even  to  read  and  write  without  feeling  that  my  head 
belonged  to  somebody  else. 

Monday , December  23  rd. — At  5 a.m.  the  sails  came 
down  and  the  funnel  had  to  be  raised.  We  were  then  off 
the  east  end  of  the  island  of  Malta,  and  had  to  plough  our 
way  through  a heavy  swell  past  Fort  Ricasoli  and  Fort 
St.  Elmo.  One  or  two  big  rolls  more,  and  we  had  rounded 
the  point  and  were  floating  within  the  peaceful  harbour  in 
perfectly  smooth  water.  Oh  ! the  rest  and  refreshment  of 
being  absolutely  still,  after  so  many  days  of  knocking 
about ! 

But  why  are  the  flags  all  half-mast  high  ? Can  the 
governor  have  died,  or  is  it  for  one  of  the  royal  family  ? 
None  of  the  dysoe  men  understood  anything  about  it,  and 
even  our  old  bumboat  man  could  give  no  better  expla- 
nation than  that  it  was  for  * one  of  the  Queen’s  little  misses.’ 
The  question  was  soon  answered,  for  Mr.  Belluti’s  son 
came  on  board  almost  immediately,  and  told  us  the  sad 
news  of  the  death  of  Princess  Alice.  What  a blow  it  will 
be  to  the  Queen  and  to  the  nation  ! for  she  was  beloved 
by  all  who  had  the  privilege  of  knowing  her. 

The  hospital  looked  white,  and  Bighi  Bay  looked  blue 
and  bright,  as  in  former  days,  though  we  shall  miss  the 
warm  welcome  we  have  been  accustomed  to  find  there. 
We  were  hailed  by  numberless  dysoe  men,  anxious  to  pilot 
us  in  ; but  we  knew  our  own  way  by  this  time,  and  were 
soon  moored  to  a buoy  in  Dockyard  Creek,  close  to  the  old 
‘ Hibernia.’ 

By  the  time  breakfast  was  over,  several  friends  came  to 


392 


DELIGHTFUL  MALTA. 


see  us,  and  we  all  went  ashore  about  11.30  a.m.,  and  found 
our  old  coachman  and  carriage  waiting  for  us.  The  chil- 
dren went  in  it,  whilst  we  walked  up  the  familiar  steppy 
streets.  I have  always  liked  Malta  from  my  earliest  child- 
hood, and  every  time  I go  back  to  it  I like  it  more  and 
more.  Not  even  the  three  weary  months  I passed  on  a 
bed  of  sickness  here  can  take  away  from  its  pleasant 
memories  and  associations.  Everybody  is  so  kind  to  us, 
the  climate  is  so  genial,  and  the  harbour  so  bright  and  gay, 
that,  although  there  is  absolutely  nothing  to  do  in  the  way 
of  sight-seeing,  there  is  always  something  pleasant  going 
on.  I know  no  more  agreeable  place  at  which  to  spend 
the  winter  months.  There  is  a very  good  opera,  nice 
society,  and  plenty  of  gaiety,  if  you  care  for  it.  This  time 
I was  more  than  ever  interested  in  the  houses  and  streets. 
After  our  recent  visit  to  Rhodes,  one  could  perceive  how 
true  was  the  statement  that  the  knights  brought  over  their 
architecture  from  their  favourite  island.  The  Palace,  and 
the  Auberges  de  Baviere,  de  Provence,  and  de  Castille,  &c., 
are  all  enlarged  reproductions  of  the  original  buildings  at 
Rhodes. 

The  streets  are  just  now  full  of  flowers  ready  for  Christ- 
mas, the  little  kiosks  at  the  corners  of  the  streets  are  a 
mass  of  bouquets  for  church  decoration,  and  the  whole  air 
is  perfumed  with  roses,  heliotrope,  carnation,  and  narcissus 
blossoms.  All  along  the  crowded  Strada  Reale  the  shop- 
keepers made  efforts  to  tempt  us  in  and  induce  us  to  look 
at  their  wares.  At  the  Hotel  d’Angleterre  we  were  warmly 
welcomed  by  the  master  and  his  family  and  servants,  who 
gave  us  a most  elaborate  luncheon  on  a gaily  decorated 
table,  as  a substantial  proof  of  their  good  feeling.  After 


A DAMPER  FOR  CHRISTMAS . 


393 


lunch  we  went  for  a drive  to  the  recreation  ground,  the 
race-course,  and  to  St.  Antonio.  The  flowers  and  oranges 
were  lovely,  and  the  place  is  kept  in  much  better  order 
than  formerly,  and  is  well  guarded  by  many  policemen, 
but  it  is  not  half  so  pleasant  as  when  one  used  to  wander 
about  at  one’s  own  sweet  will,  unnoticed  save  by  a few  civil 
Maltese  gardeners.  On  our  way  back  I paid  some  visits, 
but  found  nobody  at  home.  We  dined  at  the  table  d'hote 
at  Dunsford’s  Hotel,  and  went  afterwards  to  the  opera, 
where  we  heard  ‘ Norma’  very  well  performed.  We  were 
engaged  to  a dance  at  the  Gibraltar  Palace  ; but  Tom  was 
so  tired,  after  having  been  up  the  greater  part  of  the  last 
five  nights  navigating,  that  he  did  not  feel  equal  to  it,  and 
as  I did  not  care  to  go  alone,  we  returned  straight  on  board 
after  leaving  the  opera. 

Tuesday , December  24 th. — I woke  early,  and  was  ar- 
ranging plans  and  writing  from  4 a.m.  We  had  decided 
to  spend  Christmas  Day  here,  and  to  leave  after  the  club 
ball  on  Thursday.  We  are  both  so  fond  of  Malta,  and  have 
so  many  kind  friends  here,  that  it  is  always  a pleasure  to 
stay  ; but  Tom  has  to  be  home  by  a certain  day,  and  for 
some ' reasons  it  would  be  convenient  to  have  the  yacht 
home  too.  The  wind  is  fair,  so  that,  taking  all  things  into 
consideration,  we  have  reluctantly  decided  that  we  must 
give  up  all  our  pleasant  engagements  here  and  be  off  to- 
night. The  children,  servants,  and  crew  are  in  despair  at 
going  to  sea  on  Christmas  Eve  ; but,  after  our  recent  ex- 
perience of  gales,  it  is  much  more  prudent  to  make  sure  of 
the  start. 

After  breakfast  we  had  many  visitors,  then  we  went 
to  visit  several  friends  on  board  other  ships,  and  finally  we 


394 


FLORAL  DECORA  TLONS. 


all  started  off  to  buy  Christmas  presents  for  the  children, 
servants,  and  crew.  I was  tempted  with  some  splendid  old 
Greek  lace,  of  which  there  are  still  some  good  specimens  to 
be  found,  notwithstanding  the  calls  upon  the  dealers’  re- 
sources caused  by  the  rage  for  collecting.  The  streets 
looked  even  more  lovely  than  they  did  yesterday,  a mass 
of  flowers  everywhere,  all  ready  for  the  churches  to-morrow. 
Instead  of  holly,  ivy,  and  evergreen,  they  will  be  decorated 
with  wreaths  of  crimson  bougainvillaea,  tea  roses,  wild 
narcissus,  heath,  broom,  orange  blossom  and  fruit.  All 
the  shops  make  their  most  tempting  displays,  and  many 
have  orange-trees  in  pots  instead  of  evergreens  in  the 
windows. 

We  went  on  board  about  3 p.m.,  and  held  quite  a levee 
of  old  friends  and  new,  who  came  to  see  us  and  the  yacht. 
We  were  surrounded  by  boats  of  all  descriptions,  contain- 
ing every  imaginable  article  for  sale,  animals  alive  or  dead, 
vegetables  and  minerals.  The  children  were  much  in- 
terested, Muriel  being  specially  anxious  to  buy  a small 
family  of  Guinea  pigs,  described  by  their  owner  as  ‘the 
cock  Guinea  pig,  the  hen  Guinea  pig,  and  the  little  chicken 
Guinea  pig  ; ’ but  we  thought  they  would  hardly  be  pleasant 
fellow-passengers.  It  was  getting  dusk  by  this  time,  and 
the  fires  had  been  lighted  some  time  before.  As  the  screw 
began  to  revolve,  the  flotilla  of  boats,  with  their  cargoes  of 
coral,  lace,  sponges,  and  miscellanies,  had  to  shove  off.  We 
unmoored  from  our  buoy,  steamed  quickly  out  from  the 
picturesque  Venetian-looking  Dockyard  Creek  into  the 
grand  harbour,  took  a farewell  look  at  the  ‘ Minotaur,’ 

‘ Northumberland,’  ‘ Shannon,’  and  other  big  ships  lying  at 
anchor  under  the  walls  of  the  white  oriental-looking  town, 


FAREWELL  TO  MALTA. 


395 


passed  through  between  the  forts,  and,  quitting  this  haven 
of  rest,  were  once  more  fairly  out  at  sea, 

I think  we  all  felt  a little  sad,  not  only  at  leaving 
Malta  and  our  friends  behind  after  so  short  a visit,  but  at 
the  idea  that,  unless  unforeseen  circumstances  arose,  we 
had  just  taken  our  departure  from  our  last  halting-place, 
and  that  what  had  been  a very  pleasant  voyage  on  the 
whole  (though  not  so  full  of  novelty  and  adventure  as  the 
voyage  round  the  world)  was  thus  fast  drawing  to  a close. 
The  thought  that  the  next  time  we  hear  the  anchor  go 
down,  it  will  be  for  the  last  time  during  the  present 
cruise,  cannot  fail  to  be  full  of  regret  to  me,  and  I think  to 
many  others  on  board,  notwithstanding  the  pleasure  we  all 
feel  in  looking  forward  to  seeing  once  more  the  friends  we 
have  left  behind  us. 


A Quiet  Time 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


FROM  MALTA  TO  MARSEILLES. 

The  wind  is  chill. 

But  let  it  whistle  as  it  will 
We'll  keep  our  Christmas  merry  still. 

Wednesday , December  2^th. — I woke  at  3.50  a.m.,and  read 
and  wrote  till  -8  a.m.  We  had  service  early,  and  then  spent 
a long  busy  morning  in  arranging  all  the  presents  for  the 
children,  servants,  and  crew,  and  in  decorating  the  cabin. 
We  could  not  manage  any  holly,  but  we  had  carefully  pre- 
served one  bough  of  mistletoe  from  Artaki  Bay,  and  had 
brought  on  board  at  Malta  baskets  full  of  flowers,  so  that 
all  the  pictures,  lamps,  and  even  the  walls,  were  wreathed 
with  festoons  of  bougainvillaea,  ivy,  and  other  creeping 
plants  ; while  in  every  available  corner  were  placed  vases, 
bowls,  and  soup-plates,  containing  flowers.  If  not  exactly 
‘ gay  with  holly-berries/  so  dear  to  English  hearts  from 
their  association  with  yule-tide  at  home,  the  general  ap- 
pearance of  the  cabins  was  highly  satisfactory.  In  the 
meantime  they  had  been  busy  in  the  kitchen  and  pantry 
departments,  preparing  all  sorts  of  good  things  for  dinner, 
and  pretty  things  for  dessert,  in  order  that  the  crew  and 
servants  might  enjoy  a more  sumptuous  repast  than  usual. 
A Christmas  tree,  a snow  man,  or  an  ice-cave,  for  the 
distribution  of  presents,  was  not  within  the  limit  of  our 


CHRISTMAS  FESTIVITIES . 


397 


resources ; but  we  decorated  our  tables  and  sideboards  with 
bright  shawls  and  scarves,  and  wreathed  and  divided  the 
surface  of  each  with  garlands  of  flowers,  placing  in  every 
division  a pretty  Christmas  card,  bearing  the  name  of  the 
recipient  of  the  present,  which  was  hidden  away  among  the 
flowers  beneath.  Mabelle  and  I took  a great  deal  of  pains 
with  this  arrangement,  which,  I think,  looked  very  pretty 
when  completed.  Perhaps  I ought  not  to  say  so  ; but  I am 
only  repeating  the  opinion  expressed  by  everybody,  and 
what  everybody  says  must  be  true  : therefore  it  must  have 
looked  very  pretty — Q.E.D.  For  the  men  there  was  plenty 
of  tobacco,  besides  books  and  useful  things  ; for  the  children, 
toys  ; and  for  ourselves,  slippers  and  little  remembrances 
of  various  kinds,  some  sent  from  home  to  meet  us,  others 
recent  purchases.  The  distribution  over,  one  or  two  speeches 
were  made,  and  mutual  congratulations  and  good  wishes 
were  exchanged.  Then  the  crew  and  servants  retired  to 
enjoy  the,  to  them,  all-important  event  of  the  day — dinner 
and  dessert.  After  our  own  late  dinner,  we  thought  of 
those  near  and  dear  to  us  at  home,  and  drank  to  the  health 
of  ‘ absent  friends.’ 

All  day  long  the  sky  had  been  light  and  clear,  but  there 
had  been  a heavy  roll,  which  prevented  our  admiring  as 
much  as  we  could  have  wished  the  beautiful  west  coast  of 
Sicily.  At  noon  we  had  been  off  Cape  Scalambri,  having 
been  much  set  back  by  an  adverse  current.  At  night  I 
found,  to  my  great  disappointment,  that  all  my  recent  ex- 
perience had  been  of  no  avail,  and  that  I was  as  ill  as  if  I 
had  never  been  to  sea  before  in  my  life.  It  was  certainly 
very  rough,  but  we  were  progressing  rapidly,  which  is  always 
a consoling  fact,  however  bad  one  may  feel.  During  two 


39§ 


SICILY . 


consecutive  watches  we  ran  50  and  5 2 knots  respectively, 
or  nearly  118  land  miles  altogether. 

Thursday , December  26th. — The  morning  broke  fine  and 
clear.  We  had  a delightful  sail  all  day  along  the  Sicilian 
coast,  which  looked  charming,  with  its  distant  mountains 
and  sloping  hills,  dotted  with  houses  and  villages,  and  with 
snow-covered  Etna  in  the  background.  The  scenery  of 
the  western  side  of  the  island  is  not,  however,  so  grand 
as  that  on  the  north  coast,  from  Cape  Faro  to  Palermo.  I 
wonder  more  people  do  not  come  yachting  to  Sicily.  It 
is  comparatively  near  home  ; it  abounds  in  sheltered 
harbours,  beautiful  scenery,  and  interesting  spots.  The 
climate  is  delightful  all  the  year  round,  and  the  flowers  and 
fruit  are  abundant,  lovely,  and  delicious.  Brigands  were  a 
drawback,  and  perhaps  still  are  so  in  the  interior  ; but  there 
are  plenty  of  places  near  the  coast  which  are  perfectly  safe, 
and  there  could  hardly  be  much  danger  to  a yachting  party 
on  this  score. 

Friday , December  27th. — We  were  constantly  disturbed 
throughout  the  night  by  Kindred  or  Cook  coming  to  Tom 
for  fresh  instructions  ; so  at  last  I abandoned  the  idea  of 
sleep  as  a bad  job,  and  got  up  and  wrote  from  1.30  a.m.  to 
5 a.m.  About  8 a.m.  the  funnel  was  lowered,  and  we  were 
able  to  sail  all  day,  though  sometimes  close-hauled,  and 
contending  with  a heavy  swell.  This  latter  circumstance 
was  not  at  all  in  favour  of  our  packing  and  preparations 
for  leaving  the  yacht. 

At  noon  we  had  run  216  miles,  in  spite  of  the  still 
adverse  current. 

Saturday , December  28th. — A fine  morning,  but  a head 
wind.  At  daybreak  we  were  about  twenty  miles  off  Toulon, 


ARRIVAL  AT  MARSEILLES. 


399 


and  twenty-five  from  Marseilles.  The  funnel  was  raised, 
and  we  steamed  among  the  islands  and  along  the  barren 
rocky  coast  off  the  harbour  of  Marseilles.  The  scene  is 
rather  a grand  one,  though  wild  and  bleak,  and,  with  the 
sun  shining  on  the  red  and  yellow  pointed  rocks  and  the 
dark  blue  sea,  it  would  no  doubt  have  been  very  fine. 
To-day,  however,  it  was  bitterly  cold,  with  a grey  leaden 
sky  and  sea,  very  much  as  one  would  expect  to  find  it  on 
the  English  coast  at  this  time  of  the  year.  A pilot  came 
on  board  and  took  us  through  a fleet  of  fishing  boats,  past 
the  Chateau  d’lf,  and  into  the  new  harbour  of  Marseilles. 
Here  we  found  the  ‘ Sultana  ’ and  ‘ Cuckoo  * yachts  esta- 
blished, and  alongside  the  latter  we  dropped  our  anchor  for 
the  last  time  this  cruise. 

The  rattle  of  the  chain  cable,  generally  so  pleasant  a 
sound,  as  the  signal  of  arrival  at  a fresh  port  full  of  un- 
known attractions  and  interest,  seems  now  the  knell  of  past 
pleasures,  announcing  the  completion  of  a delightful  voyage, 
and  the  return  to  the  work-a-day  world  and  the  duties  and 
responsibilities  of  home  life. 

Michel  Venture,  who  had  been  with  us  from  Smyrna  to 
Ephesus  in  1874,  was  one  of  the  first  arrivals  on  board  to 
solicit  our  custom,  and  was  quickly  followed  by  the  usual 
crowd  of  proveidors , washerwomen,  & c.  We  landed  and 
went  to  the  consul’s  for  papers  and  letters,  of  both  of  which 
we  received  a large  and  welcome  bundle,  our  Malta  news 
having  been  somewhat  stale  in  consequence  of  our  uncertain 
movements  and  frequent  change  of  plans.  We  dined  at 
the  table  d'hote  of  the  Hotel  de  Noailles,  where  there  were 
not  many  people,  and  we  had  the  felicity  of  sitting  opposite 
to  the  late  Madame  Therese  and  her  husband.  I had  never 


400 


PRESEPIO  FAIR. 


seen  her  off  the  stage  before,  and  could  not  have  believed 
she  would  have  looked  so  quiet  and  inconspicuous.  She 
was  singing  at  a theatre  quite  close  to  the  hotel. 

Afterwards  we  went  to  the  Gymnase,  where  we  saw 
a very  dull  little  piece  to  begin  with,  followed  by  ‘ La 
Perichole,’  in  which  the  acting  and  singing  were  good. 

Sunday , December  29 th. — We  went  to  a plain  little 
English  church,  decorated  with  much  taste  for  Christmas. 
In  the  afternoon  we  went  for  a long  drive  round  what 
they  call  the  Corniche  road  of  Marseilles — a splendid 
piece  of  engineering,  cut  out  of  the  rocks,  along  the  edge 
of  the  sea,  and  commanding  beautiful  views  along  the  rocky 
coast.  We  passed  the  comfortable  Hotel  Roussillon, in  Cata- 
lan harbour,  a spot  familiar  to  the  readers  of  Monte  Christo, 
and  then  drove  along  the  Prado,  a fine  promenade,  planted 
with  trees,  to  the  foire  de  presepio , which  is  held  near  the 
Chateau  d’Eau  for  a few  days  before  and  after  Christmas 
only.  It  is  like  the  New  Year’s  fair  in  Paris.  There  are 
hundreds  of  little  wooden  booths,  built  under  the  shade  of 
the  trees,  and  filled,  a few  with  toys  and  sweets,  but  prin- 
cipally with  presepios , or  miniature  representations  of  that 
place 

In  royal  David’s  city,  where  stood  a lowly  cattle  shed, 

Where  a mother  laid  her  Baby,  in  a manger  for  His  bed. 

The  models  were  really  very  well  done,  in  all  sorts  of  styles 
and  sizes.  There  was  the  little  wooden  shed,  with  the  loft 
above,  full  of  hay  and  straw  (of  a proportionate  size),  the 
stable  manger  with  the  cattle  and  asses,  and  Mary  and 
Joseph  sitting  in  front,  sometimes  with  the  Infant  Saviour, 
either  between  them,  receiving  the  homage  of  the  shepherds 
and  the  wise  men  from  the  East,  or  seated  in  the  manger 


THE  LOST  CHILD. 


401 


itself.  The  figures  varied  in  size  from  the  eighth  of  an  inch 
to  five  or  six  inches,  and  their  number  from  four  or  five  to 
as  many  hundreds,  while  the  price  of  the  whole  ranged  from 
half  a franc  to  a hundred  pounds.  Every  family  in  Mar- 
seilles could  have  its  little  household  altar,  suited  to  the 
length  of  its  purse  ; and  a representative  of  every  family 
must,  I think, have  been  present.  A large,  good-humoured, 
pushing  bargaining,  parcel-carrying  crowd  it  was.  One 
poor  woman  had  lost  her  child,  and  was  rushing  about  in 
a frantic  state,  shrieking,  and  literally  tearing  her  hair,  and 
recording  its  virtues  in  the  most  voluble  French,  till,  on 
finding  it  again  in  the  arms  of  a stalwart  blouse-dressed 
peasant,  she  seized  it,  put  it  across  her  knee,  and  gave  it  a 
real  good  whipping,  just  like  the  heroine  of  Tom  Hood’s 
poem.  Our  three  children  were  immensely  interested  in 
the  whole  scene,  and  talked  of  it  for  many  days  afterwards. 

Marseilles  is  greatly  altered  since  we  were  here  some 
years  ago.  The  new  harbours  are  finished,  and  as  our 
vessel  is  at  the  extreme  end  of  one  of  the  newest  of  them 
it  was  really  a long  drive  to  get  on  board  again. 

Monday , December  30 tJi. — We  were  up  early,  and  every- 
body was  hard  at  work  packing,  not  so  much  the  things 
we  are  to  take  with  us  overland,  as  those  that  are  to 
follow  by  sea.  It  is  quite  decided  that  the  yacht  shall 
be  left  here  for  the  present,  and  after  a five  months’  cruise 
the  collections  of  a family  are  rather  a formidable  affair. 
Such  a scene  of  confusion  as  the  deck  presented,  covered 
as  it  was  with  deal  cases,  straw,  hay,  paper,  live  and  dead 
objects,  dogs,  goats,  pigeons,  canaries,  rice-birds,  bullfinches, 
goldfinches,  and  every  conceivable  article  of  attire  or  orna- 
ment, has,  I am  sure,  been  rarely  witnessed.  Of  course,  all 


402 


MARSEILLES. 


our  acquaintances  in  Marseilles,  and  some  strangers,  took 
this  opportunity  of  coming  to  see  us  and  the  yacht,  and  a 
nice  impression  they  must,  I fear,  have  formed  of  the  tidi- 
ness of  the  vessel  and  its  inhabitants. 

Having  done  all  I could  in  the  way  of  packing,  I took 
the  children  for  a drive,  to  keep  them  out  of  the  way  while 
all  the  confusion  was  going  on.  We  went  along  the  new 
harbour,  crowded  with  ships  of  large  size  from  every  coun- 
try in  the  world,  and  surrounded  by  stores  and  bonded 
warehouses,  containing  every  imaginable  species  of  mer- 
chandise, and  were  much  amused  by  looking  in  at  the  dif- 
ferent doors  and  speculating  on  the  various  contents  of  the 
buildings.  When  this  harbour  was  begun,  a large  new 
town  was  laid  out  close  to  it,  and  streets  upon  streets  of 
magnificent  houses  were  built.  Somehow  the  people  never 
came  to  live  in  them,  and  they  are  now  almost  all  empty 
and  shut  up,  or  tenanted  by  the  poorest  of  the  poor.  Thus, 
over  grand  porches,  supported  on  caryatides  and  sur- 
rounded by  costly  ironwork,  miserable  rags,  hanging  out  to 
dry  in  the  sun  and  air,  give  the  whole  suburb  quite  a mean 
appearance.  Near  the  port  of  La  Joliette,  on  the  contrary, 
though  the  houses  are  poor  and  small,  everybody  seems 
busy  and  well-to-do,  and  there  is  plenty  of  life  and  bustle 
among  the  large  fleet  of  coasting  schooners  and  lateen- 
rigged  craft,  hailing  from  almost  every  part  of  the  Mediter- 
ranean seaboard,  and  perhaps  from  even  farther  than  that. 
The  Cannebiere  or  grande  me  of  Marseilles  leads  straight 
from  the  port  to  the  most  remote  part  of  the  town,  and 
always  reminds  me  (though  it  is  not,  of  course,  of  so  great  a 
length)  of  the  Broadway  at  New  York,  with  its  shops,  its 
houses,  its  trees,  and  its  motley  groups  of  passers-by  from 


PARTING  FROM  SHIP  AND  CREW . 


403 


every  country  in  the  world.  On  each  side,  at  right  angles, 
there  are  fine  promenades,  with  splendid  trees,  and  large 
and  well-occupied  houses. 

After  another  visit  to  the  Presepio  fair,  for  the  benefit 
of  the  children,  we  drove  to  the  Chateau  d’Eau,  a good 
imitation  of  the  large  one  at  Caserta,  with  its  statues 
and  its  fountains.  On  one  side  is  the  Museum  of  Natural 
History,  on  the  other  the  collection  of  pictures  and  statues. 
Behind  there  are  beautiful  gardens,  containing  a mixed 
zoological  and  botanical  collection. 

More  visitors  came  to  see  us  on  our  return  on  board, 
after  which  we  had  a busy  time  in  getting  our  luggage 
through  the  Custom  House,  an  undertaking  in  which  Mr. 
Parr,  the  consul’s  clerk,  rendered  valuable  assistance.  Then 
came  the  moment  of  our  departure,  the  time  for  the  sad 
farewells  to  be  said,  not  only  to  our  gallant  little  ship,  but 
to  the  brave  crew  who  have  steered  and  worked  her  through 

o 

so  many  hazards  and  dangers,  and  have  contributed,  in 
their  various  capacities,  so  greatly  to  our  comfort  and  en- 
joyment. All  old  shipmates  feel  sorrow  at  parting,  and 
we  on  board  the  ‘ Sunbeam  ’ are  rather  like  one  large 
family,  some  of  the  men  having  been  with  us  for  fifteen  or 
sixteen  years.  I do  not  think  there  was  a single  dry  eye 
among  children,  guests,  owners,  crew,  and  servants,  when 
the  last  hand  had  been  shaken,  and  the  burgee  and  ensign 
had  been  hauled  down,  though  a melancholy  attempt  at  a 
cheer  was  made  as  we  left  the  ship  and  were  rowed 
ashore. 

Good-bye,  dear  old  ‘ Sunbeam  ’ ! I hope  we  may  soon 
be  on  board  you  again.  You  have  done  your  work  right 
well,  and  have  borne  us  and  ours  bravely  over  the  sea. 


404 


A FOND  FAREWELL. 


The  confidence  we  feel  in  a favourite  hunter,  the  affection 
we  cherish  for  a faithful  friend,  the  attachment  we  bear  to 
a house  that  contains  whatever  is  nearest  and  dearest  to 
the  heart — all  these  kindly  sympathies  and  sentiments  are 
bound  together  in  my  love  for  the  gallant  little  bark  to 
which  once  more  I say  £ Fare  thee  well ! ’ 

Farewell  ! 

The  elements  be  kind  to  thee  and  make 
Thy  spirits  all  of  comfort. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


HOME  ONCE  MORE. 

’ Tis  sweet  to  hear  the  watch-dog' s honest  hark 
Bay  deep-mouthed  welcome  as  we  draw  near  home  : 

' Tis  sweet  to  know  there  is  an  eye  will  mark 
Our  coming,  and  look  brighter  when  we  come. 

The  remainder  of  our  journey  home  presents  nc  features 
of  special  interest.  We  arrived  in  Paris  in  due  course,  and 
spent  a week  there  very  agreeably,  visiting  many  of  the  old 
familiar  sights  and  places  of  interest,  which  never  seem  to 
lose  their  charm  and  attraction,  even  for  the  oldest  and 
most  experienced  traveller. 

On  January  8 we  left  Paris  by  the  early  morning  train, 
and,  crossing  from  Boulogne  to  Folkestone,  reached  our 
own  little  village  once  more  in  the  afternoon. 

Again  the  Battle  bells  rang  out  a merry  peal  of  glad- 
ness at  our  return  ; again  everybody  rushed  out  to  welcome 
us.  At  home  once  again  the  servants  and  the  animals 
seemed  equally  glad  to  see  us  back  ; the  former  looked  the 
picture  of  happiness,  while  the  dogs  jumped  and  barked  ; 
the  horses  and  ponies  neighed  and  whinnied  ; the  monkeys 
chattered  ; the  cockatoos  and  parrots  screamed  ; the  birds 
chirped  ; the  bullfinches  piped  their  little  paean  of  welcome. 
Most  of  the  smaller  creatures  we  had  brought  home  from 


4°6 


WELCOME  BACK . 


our  voyage  round  the  world.  From  having  been  so  much 
petted  on  board  ship  they  are  as  tame  as  dogs,  and  they 
seem  to  have  the  most  wonderful  memories.  Our  old 
Sussex  cowman  says  that  even  the  cows  eat  their  food 
‘ kind  of  kinder  like  ’ when  the  family  are  at  home.  The 
deer  and  the  ostriches  too,  the  swans  and  the  call  ducks, 
all  came  running  to  meet  us,  as  we  drove  round  the  place 
to  see  them,  when  they  heard  the  sound  of  the  bells  on 
the  ponies. 

There  is  no  place  like  home,  after  all,  and  delightful 
indeed  is  it  to  find  oneself  there  again  after  a long  absence, 
to  feel  that  everybody  is  glad  to  see  one  back,  and  to  re- 
cognise, and  be  recognised  by,  all  one’s  old  friends  and 
favourites.  In  our  own  case  the  pleasure  has  been  greatly 
increased  by  the  fact  that  everything  has  gone  on  in  a 
satisfactory  manner  in  our  absence,  and  that  the  confidence 
reposed  in  those  left  in  charge  has  been  fully  justified  by 
the  result. 

The  soft  warm  air  and  bright  blue  skies  of  the  sunny 
south  possess  undoubted  charms,  for  me  especially  ; but 
old  England  too,  even  in  mid-winter,  when 

A southerly  wind  and  a cloudy  sky 
Proclaim  a hunting  morning, 

has  its  attractions.  Very  pleasant  it  was  to  go  out  hunt- 
ing the  next  day  after  our  arrival,  and  to  gallop  once  more 
across  the  well-known  fields  and  through  the  big  woods 
of  dear  old  Sussex.  It  is  really  a lovely  county,  and  its 
beauties  strike  me  afresh  each  time  I return  to  it. 

Green  fields  of  England  ! wheresoe’er 
Across  this  watery  waste  we  fare, 

Your  image  at  our  hearts  we  bear, 

Green  fields  of  England,  everywhere. 


THE  LAST  PAGE . 407 

The  last  chapter  closed  with  regrets  at  leaving  the  dear 
old  ‘ Sunbeam.’  I finish  this  one  full  of  joy  and  thankful- 
ness at  our  safe  return  to  enjoy  the  blessings  of  the  land, 
and  of  gratitude  to  our  many  kind  friends  for  being  so  glad 
to  see  us  back  again. 


The  Meet  at  Battle  Abbey 


APPENDIX. 


SUMMARY  OF  VOYAGES, 
1874  AND  1878, 

Compiled  from  the  Log-Book. 


LIST  OF  OUR  PARTY,  CREW, 
AND  SERVANTS,  &c. 


1 874- 

To  complete  the  story  of  the  homeward  voyage,  I give  the  fol- 
lowing transcript  from  Mr.  Brassey’s  log  book  : — 

At  9.30  a.m.  on  December  24  the  ‘Sunbeam’  steamed  out  of  the 
harbour  of  Nice,  and  remained  hove-to  until  noon,  when,  having 
seen  my  wife  and  children  off  at  the  station,  I returned  on  board, 
and  set  out  on  my  long  voyage  to  the  Thames. 

The  crew  were  employed  during  the  afternoon  in  securing 
boats  on  deck,  and  making  every  preparation  for  the  stormy 
weather  which  would  probably  be  encountered  at  this  season  of 
the  year.  At  6 p.m.  the  ‘ Sunbeam  ’ was  off  Hyeres.  At  8 p.m.  we 
ceased  steaming  and  proceeded  under  sail.  During  the  day  the 
weather  had  been  calm,  and  the  sea  smooth.  In  the  night  the 
wind  freshened  considerably,  working  round  to  the  S.W. 

At  noon  on  Christmas  Day  the  ‘ Sunbeam  ’ was  distant  from 
Nice  16 1 miles,  in  latitude  41.9  N.  and  longitude  5.33  E.  There 
was  a heavy  swell  from  the  westward,  with  a moderate  breeze 
throughout  the  day,  and  not  a single  vessel  was  seen  from  sunrise 
to  sunset.  The  crew  were  regaled  with  a Christmas  dinner,  and 
the  weather  caused  no  interruption  to  their  festive  enjoyment. 

The  following  night  was  fine,  and  the  moon  shone  brightly.  At 
2 a.m.  on  the  26th  the  mizen  topmast  was  got  up  on  end,  and  at 
6 a.m.  the  main  topmast,  and  the  main  and  mizen  topsails  were  set. 

During  the  26th  the  sea  was  smooth,  with  a moderate  breeze 
from  the  S.W.  At  noon  the  distance  run  was  120  miles  ; and  as 
we  were  approaching  the  Balearic  Isles,  crossing  the  usual  track 
of  sailing  vessels  bound  up  the  Mediterranean,  several  sail  were 
seen,  and  in  the  afternoon  we  exchanged  signals  with  a German 
barque.  In  the  night  the  wind  veered  from  N.W.  to  E.,  and  we 
set  the  square-sail.  But  the  favouring  breeze  soon  died  away. 

Sunday,  the  27th,  continued  almost  calm  until  noon,  when  we 
were  in  latitude  39.3  N.  and  longitude  3.47  E.  In  the  preceding 
twenty-four  hours  we  had  made  good  only  fifty  miles,  the  most 


412 


APPENDIX. 


indifferent  day’s  work  since  our  departure  from  England.  Prayers 
were  read  as  usual  on  Sunday  in  the  morning.  During  the  after- 
noon we  experienced  a moderate  breeze  from  the  W.,  but  the 
barometer  fell  to  2 9 '6.  Later  we  encountered  a heavy  swell, 
which  lifted  the  dingy  out  of  the  tackles,  and  in  the  darkness  of  ' 
the  night,  with  all  our  other  boats  secured  for  sea,  we  were 
unable  to  take  any  steps  to  recover  it.  As  there  was  a heavy  sea 
running,  and  not  enough  wind  to  give  us  steerage-way,  I ordered 
the  canvas  to  be  stowed,  and  the  fires  to  be  lighted.  At  midnight 
we  proceeded  under  steam.  At  6 a.m.  we  housed  topmasts, 
and  set  double-reefed  staysail  and  foresail.  At  8 a.m.  we  ceased 
steaming  and  lowered  the  funnel.  Notwithstanding  the  small  area 
of  canvas  set,  there  was  no  perceptible  loss  of  speed  after  the 
engines  were  stopped.  At  9.30,  after  much  labour,  owing  to  the 
sail  being  full  of  water  from  the  torrents  of  rain  that  had  fallen 
during  the  night,  we  took  in  three  reefs  in  the  mizen,  and  set  it. 

At  noon  on  the  28th  we  were  in  37.30  N.  and  2.47  E.,  having 
run  156  miles  since  noon  yesterday.  At  1 p.m.  we  set  the  double- 
reefed  mainsail.  During  the  afternoon  we  met  numerous  vessels, 
and  passed  close  to  an  English  barque,  with  foresail  and  mainsail 
blown  to  ribbons.  We  also  passed  a large  three-masted  steamer 
with  the  fore  topsail  blown  away  from  the  yard.  At  5 p.m.  the 
weather  began  to  moderate. 

At  2 a.m.  on  the  29th  we  made  the  light  on  the  Mesa  de 
Roldan,  and  at  4 a.m.  we  rounded  Cape  de  Gata.  We  were  now 
running  along  the  Spanish  coast,  with  a fresh  and  favourable 
breeze  and  a smooth  sea.  At  8 a.m.  we  set  the  square-sail  and 
mizen  topsail.  At  9 a.m.  set  the  fore  topsail  and  the  main  topsail. 
The  weather  was  lovely,  the  sky  cloudless,  the  sun  bright  and 
genial.  We  were  surrounded  with  shipping.  At  noon  we  found 
the  day’s  run  to  be  188  miles,  and  we  were  in  36.18  N.,  2.42  W. 
At  1 1. 1 5 p.m.  we  were  becalmed,  and  as  I was  anxious  to  leave 
Gibraltar  to-morrow  evening  I lowered  canvas  and  got  up  steam. 

At  6 a.m.  on  December  30  we  rounded  Europa  Point,  and  at 
6.45  a.m.  we  brought  up  off  the  New  Mole.  The  morning  was 
occupied  in  taking  in  water  and  provisions.  I lunched  with  the 


APPENDIX. 


4i3 


Marilliers,  and  at  4 p.m.  returned  on  board,  weighed  anchor,  and 
steamed  out  into  the  straits.  The  weather  was  splendid,  sea 
perfectly  calm,  and  not  a breath  stirring. 

At  8 a.m.  on  the  31st,  off  Cape  St.  Mary,  we  ceased  steaming, 
and  set  all  sail,  including  topsails.  The  wind  continued  light 
until  noon,  when  we  set  square-sail  and  topmast  staysails.  In 
the  afternoon  the  wind  died  away.  During  the  night  it  was  dead 
calm,  and  at  4 a.m.  we  proceeded  under  steam. 

At  9.30  a.m.  on  New  Year’s  Day  we  rounded  Cape  St.  Vincent. 
The  weather  continued  calm  throughout  the  day,  the  barometer 
standing  at  30.4.  Our  crew  were  able  to  devote  their  energies 
to  beating  carpets,  and  other  occupations  more  commonly  adapted 
to  a sheltered  harbour  than  the  exposed  North  Atlantic  in  the 
winter  season.  Our  run  from  Gibraltar  to  noon  on  December 
31  was  146  miles,  position  at  noon  36.43  N.,  7.53  W. 

January  1 the  run  was  90  miles,  position  37.28  N.,  9.7  W 
At  8 a.m.  January  2 we  were  off  the  Tagus,  and  at  1 p.m.  we 
passed  the  Burlings.  The  weather  continued  calm  during  the 
night,  but  at  8 a.m.  on  January  3 a moderate  breeze  sprang  up 
from  the  S.S.W.  We  ceased  steaming,  and  set  the  square-sail 
and  jib-headed  fore  topsail.  Our  run  at  noon  was  190  miles,  our 
position  40.34  N.,  10.4  W. 

During  the  ensuing  twenty-four  hours  we  made  steady  progress 
before  a moderate  running  breeze,  and  at  noon  on  the  3rd  we  had 
made  good  105  miles,  and  were  in  42.25  N.  and  9.55  W.  In  the 
afternoon  the  wind  worked  round  to  the  S.W.,  and  we  set  foresail, 
mainsail,  and*  main  topsail.  At  4 p.m.  Cape  Finisterre  was  distant 
ten  miles  on  the  starboard  beam.  The  wind  tacked  round  to 
the  southward,  and  increased  very  much  during  the  day  watches. 
At  6 p.m.  we  stowed  all  fore-and-aft  canvas. 

At  i a.m.  on  the  ath,  we  sighted  the  light  on  Cape  Villano. 
During  the  night  we  continued  bowling  along  at  from  ten  to 
eleven  knots  an  hour,  under  square  canvas,  over  a moderate  sea, 
before  half  a gale  from  the  southward.  At  noon  we  had  made  a 
fine  run  of  228  miles,  position  45.55  N.  and  7.40  W.  In  the 
afternoon  the  sun  broke  through  the  clouds,  producing  glorious 


4*4 


APPENDIX. 


effects  of  light  over  the  tumbling  sea  of  the  Bay  of  Biscay.  In 
order  to  give  Ushant  a wide  berth  we  hauled  out  more  to  the 
westward,  bringing  the  wind  on  the  quarter.  We  set  the  double- 
reefed  mizen  and  reefed  mainsail  and  foresail,  and  took  in  our  square 
canvas.  At  n p.m.,  the  wind  moderating,  we  shook  out  reefs  in 
the  lower  canvas,  and  in  the  middle  watch  set  the  mizen  topsail. 

At  4 a.m.  on  the  5th,  we  got  the  fore  topmast  on  end,  and  set 
the  square-sail  and  fore  topsail.  At  8 a.m.  we  set  the  main  top- 
sail. At  noon  the  run  was  205  miles,  and  the  position  in  49.0  N. 
and  5.49  W.  We  were  now  in  the  chops  of  the  Channel,  and 
altered  our  course  to  E.N.  E.  The  sea  was  smooth,  the  wind 
fresh  and  ‘ fair  as  fair  could  be/  and  every  sail  set,  including 
square-sail,  studding-sail,  and  main  and  mizen  topsails.  The 
4 Sunbeam  ’ was  on  her  very  best  point  of  sailing,  with  the  wind 
on  the  quarter.  At  9 p.m.  we  sighted  the  Start,  visible  only  from 
the  cross-trees.  At  4.30  a.m.  on  the  6th,  St.  Catherine’s  was 
abeam,  distant  thirteen  miles.  At  6,30  a.m.  we  passed  the  Owers. 
At  9 a.m.  we  rounded  Beachy  Head,  and  at  noon  we  hove-to  off 
Hastings,  having  run  the  great  distance  of  286  miles  in  the  previous 
twenty-four  hours.  I landed,  saw  my  mother,  heard  that  my  wife 
and  children  were  all  well,  spending  the  day  at  Sedlescombe,  and 
at  5.30  p.m.  resumed  the  voyage  to  the  Thames  under  sail. 

We  brought  up  in  the  Downs  off  Waimer  at  11  p.m.  It  was 
a dangerous  manoeuvre,  as  the  tide  was  carrying  us  down  very 
rapidly  on  other  vessels  at  anchor,  and  we  had  but  little  room  to 
round  to  before  letting  go.  However,  all’s  well  that  ends  well. 
We  weighed  at  daybreak  on  the  7th,  and  proceeded  under  steam 
through  the  Downs,  and,  rounding  the  well-known  promontory  of 
the  North  Foreland,  proceeded  up  the  Thames  to  Gravesend, 
where,  as  we  were  too  late  to  go  into  dock  to-day,  we  dropped 
anchor  until  to-morrow. 

I landed  at  1.30  p.m.,  thankful  to  have  been  so  mercifully 
preserved  from  the  disasters  of  the  sea  through  a long  voyage  of 
13,000  miles.1 

1 This  distance  includes  a voyage  to  Norway  and  the  Arctic  Circle,  made 
by  the  ‘ Sunbeam  ’ just  previous  to  the  cruise  in  the  Mediterranean. 


APPENDIX. 


415 


1874. 

LIST  OF  THE  MEMBERS  OF  OUR  PARTY,  CREW \ 
AND  SERVANTS , /TV  1874. 

( Portsmouth , September  13.) 

THOMAS  BRASSEY,  M.P.,  Owner  and  Captain 
ANNIE  BRASSEY 
G.  EVELYN  ROBINSON 
Hon.  A.  Y.  BINGHAM 

HERBERT  SWIFT,  left  at  Gibraltar  September  21 

THOMAS  ALLNUTT  BRASSEY  (‘  Tab’ ),  left  at  Gibraltar  September  2\ 
MABELLE  ANNIE  BRASSEY,  left  at  Gibraltar  September  21 
MURIEL  AGNES  BRASSEY  (‘Munie’) 

VANDELEUR  CRAKE,  arrived  at  Constantinople  November  7 ; left  at 
Messina  December  12 


FRANCES  HOME,  Nurse 
EMMA  WILLIAMS,  Maid 

SOPHIA  FISHER,  Children’s  Maid  ; left  Gibraltar  September  2i 

THOMAS  HARRIS,  Chief  Steward 

FREDERICK  PARSONS,  Saloon  Steward 

HENRY  BALLARD,  Bedroom  Steward 

GEORGE  SOULE,  Mess-room  Boy 

WILLIAM  CARTRIDGE,  Cabin  Cook 

EBENEZER  SOUTHGATE,  Cabin  Cook’s  Boy 

THOMAS  POWELL,  Forecastle  Cook 

WALLACE  C.  HOWLEN,  Forecastle  Cook’s  Boy 


4x6 


APPENDIX. 


ISAIAH  POWELL,  First  Mate 
HENRY  KINDRED,  Second  Mate 
WILLIAM  CHECK,  Carpenter 
CHARLES  COOK,  Signalman 

BENJAMIN  WALFORD,  Coxswain  of  the  ‘ Gleam,’  Cutter 
JOHN  FALE,  Coxswain  of  the  ‘Glance.-’  Cutter 
WILLIAM  PERCIVAL,  Coxswain  of  the  ‘ Ray,’  Light  Gig 
JOSEPH  WADE,  Coxswain  of  the  ‘Mote,’  Dingy 
JOHN  WALFORD,  Store-room  Man 
JAMES  C.  ALLEN,  A.B. 

JESSE  CRANFIELD,  A.B. 

HENRY  PARKER,  A.B. 

SAMUEL  WADE,  A.B. 

WILLIAM  SIBBORN,  A.B. 

GEORGE  CLARK,  A.B. 

JAMES  HARRIS,  A.B. 

EDGAR  JONES,  A.B. 

THOMAS  JAY,  A.B. 

ROBERT  ROWBOTHAM,  Engineer 

ADAM  RUSSELL,  Second  Engineer  (left  at  Constantinople) 
GEORGE  SALISBURY,  Fireman 
T.  KIRKHAM,  Fireman 


APPENDIX. 


4*7 


1874. 

SUMMARY  OF  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  YACHT  ‘ SUNBEAM » 


from  England  to  Tangier , Gibraltar , Pale 1 mo , Messina , Pirceusy 
Constantinople , Moudania , Smyrna , Milo,  Zante,  Corjn , Naples, 
Nice , and  u rave  send,  September  4,  1874,  /6>  January  7,  1875. 


Date 

Lat. 

Long. 

Distance  run. 
Sail  and  Steam 

Remarks 

1874 

September  4 

0 n , 
51  10 

0 E / 

1 18 

Knots 

57 

Started  from  Brightlingsca 

5 

50  54 

1 0 

4i 

Off  Dungeness 

6 

— 

— 

16 

Arrived  at  Hastings 

7 

50  40 

WEST 

O 50 

100 

Left  Hastings 

8 

— 

— 

94 

Off  Ryde 

9 

5°  43 

I IO 

10 

Arrived  at  Ryde 

10  and  11 

— 

— 

— 

At  Ryde 

12 

— 



— 

Left  Ryde  for  Portsmouth  Har- 

13 

50  35 

I 48 

47 

bour 

Off  St.  Albans  Head 

14 

48  9 

5 36 

231 

Off  Chaussee  de  Sein 

15 

46  37 

6 44 

112 

In  the  Bay  of  Biscay 

16 

43  45 

9 2 

197 

.. 

17 

4°  53 

9 48 

183 

Off  Cape  Finisterre 

1.8 

37  0 

9 0 

244 

Off  Cape  St.  Vincent 

19 

35  5o 

5 48 

170 

Off  Tangier 

20 

— 

— 

— 

At  Tangier 

21 

36  5 

5 30 

18 

Left  Tangit  r 

22  to  29 

— 

— 

— 

At  Gibraltar 

30 

36  10 

4 40 

25 

Left  Gibraltar 

October  1 

36  39 

0 30 

225 

Off  Marbella 

2 

37  16 

WEST 

3 48 

206 

Off  Algiers 

3 

37  4° 

6 38 

137 

Off  North  Coast  of  Africa 

4 

3S  14 

10  9 

198 

.. 

5 

38  8 

*3  15 

171 

Arrived  at  Palermo 

6 

— 

— 

— 

At  Palermo 

7 

38  10 

T3  35 

16 

Left  Palermo 

8 

8 11 

i5  34 

no 

Off  Messina 

9 

37  49 

16  25 

56 

Left  Messina 

10 

11 

37  5 
36  55 

20  43 
23  23 

223 

169 

Off  the  Morca 

12 

37  58 

23  43 

74 

Arrived  at  Piraeus 

13 

— 

— 

— 

At  Piraeus 

418 


APPENDIX. 


1874.  Summary  of  Voyage — continued. 


Date 

Lat. 

Long. 

Distance  run, 
Sail  and  Steam 

Remarks 

io74 

O N / 

0 E / 

Knots 

October  14 

38  2 

24  10 

69 

Off  Cape  Marathon 

i5 

38  28 

23  35 

66 

Off  Euripo 

16 

39  3 

23  45 

III 

Off  Scopelo 

17 

39  18 

25  5o 

166 

In  the  Dardanelles 

18 

41  0 

29  0 

214 

Off  Stamboul.  Seraglio  Point 

ig  to  21 

— 

- 

*5 

At  Constantinople 

22  to  25 

41  12 

29  0 

12 

At  Therapia 

26 

— 

25 

Returned  to  Constantinople 

27  to  Nov.  1 

— 

— 

At  Constantinople 

N ovember  2 

40  50 

29  0 

11 

Off  Prince’s  Islands 

3 

— 

— 

39 

Off  Moudania 

4 

— 

— 

At  Moudania 

5 

40  38 

28  45 

20 

Off  Silevri 

6 

40  54 

28  50 

64 

Off  Cape  Stephano 

7 

10 

Returned  to  Constantinople 

8 to  16 

— 

— 

— 

At  Constantinople 

17 

40  20 

28  35 

138 

Left  Constantinople 

18 

39  56 

26  5 

54 

In  the  Dardanelles 

19 

38  25 

27  6 

147 

Arrived  at  Smyrna 

20  to  22 

— 

— 

- 

At  Smyrna 

23 

— 

— 

6 

Left  Smyrna 

24 

38  22 

26  10 

93 

Off  Port  Castro 

25  „ 

, 37  5 

24  35 

124 

Off  Nikaria 

26 

36  42 

24  30 

53 

At  Milo 

27 

36  25 

23  0 

hi 

Off  Cape  Malea 

28 

37  27 

21  1 7 

161 

In  Gulf  of  Arkadia 

29 

37  47 

20  54 

36 

Off  Zante 

30 

— 

— 

— 

At  Zante 

December  1 

38  10 

20  29 

45 

Off  Argostoli 

2 

01 

0 

00 

CO 

20  42 

42 

Off  Cape  Dekalia 

3 

38  48 

20  30 

48 

Off  Santa  Maura 

4 

39  37 

19  58 

59 

Off  Corfu 

5 

39  43 

20  0 

8 

In  Butrinto  Bay 

6 

39  37 

19  58 

8 

Returned  to  Corfu 

7 

38  42 

18  33 

107 

To  Cape  Spartivento,  128  miles 

8 

37  23 

16  11 

130 

45  .. 

9 

38  11 

15  34 

138 

Off  Messina 

10 

39  38 

14  55 

157 

Driven  back 

APPENDIX. 


419 


1874.  Summary  of  Voyage — continued. 


Date 

Lat. 

— 

Long. 

Distance  run, 
Sail  and  Steam 

Remarks 

1874 

O N , 

0 e , 

Knots 

December  1 1 

38  12 

i5  33 

126 

Driven  back  to  Messina 

12  and  13 

— 

. 

— 

At  Messina 

14 

38  15 

15  40 

7 

Left  Messina 

• 

40  23 

13  33 

1 77 

Off  Stromboli 

16 

40  50 

14  16 

40 

Arrived  at  Naples 

1 7 and  18 

— 

— 

— 

At  Naples 

19 

41  27 

12  28 

95 

Off  Porto  d’Anzio 

no 

42  41 

9 26 

187 

Arrived  at  Bastia 

21  and  22 

— 

— 

— 

At  Bastia 

23 

43  40 

7 18 

141 

Arrived  at  Nice 

24 

— 

— 

— 

At  Nice 

25 

41  26 

5 33 

155 

Left  Nice 

26 

39  26 

4 44 

121 

2 7 

.39  3 

3 47 

50 

Off  Balearic  Islands 

28 

37  30 

1 0 

155 

29 

36  18 

WEST 

3 0 

185 

Off  Cape  de  Gata 

30 

36  6 

5 20 

105 

Off  Europa  Point 

31 

36  43 

7 53 

146 

Off  Cape  St.  Mary 

1875 

January  1 

37  25 

9 7 

84 

Rounded  Cape  St.  Vincent 

2 

40  34 

10  4 

180 

Off  the  Tagus 

3 

42  25 

9 55 

99 

4 

45  55 

7 40 

218 

Cape  Finiste.'re  E 10  miles 

5 

49  0 

5 49 

194 

6 

50  5i 

0 35 

278 

Off  Hastings 

7 

— 

— 

112 

Arrived  at  Gravesend 

Total  distance  run 


. 8.472  knots 


420 


APPENDIX . 


1 878. 

LIST  OF  THE  MEMBERS  OF  OUR  PARTY , CREW, 
AND  SERVANTS , TTY  1878. 


( Cowes , September  20,  1878.) 

THOMAS  BRASSEY,  M.P.,  Owner  and  Captain 

ANNIE  BRASSEY 

MABELLE  ANNIE  BRASSEY 

MURIEL  AGNES  BRASSEY 

MARIE  ADELAIDE  BRASSEY 

The  Hon.  A.  Y.  BINGHAM 

JAMES  B.  HOFFMEISTER 


EMMA  ADAMS,  Nurse 
HARRIET  HOWE,  Maid 
ISABELLE  BERTHOLET,  Children’s  Maid 
ALEXANDER  PHILLIPS,  Chief  Steward 
WILLIAM  PULLIN,  Deck-house  Steward 
HENRY  PRATT,  Saloon  Steward 
WILLIAM  PHILLIPS,  Bed-room  Steward 
JAMES  STOKES,  Mess-room  Boy 
EBENEZER  SOUTHGATE,  Cook 
JOSEPH  SOUTHGATE,  Cook’s  Mate 
TEN  E AS  TURFF,  Forecastle  Cook 


HENRY  KINDRED,  First  Mate 
CHARLES  COOK,  Second  Mate 
JOHN  W ALFORD,  Storekeeper 
JOHN  FALE,  Quartermaster 
WILLIAM  HUSK,  Carpenter 


APPENDIX. 


42 1 


HENRY  PARKER,  Sail  Room  (charge  of) 

PIENKY  CR^ANMER,  Coxswain,  ‘Glance* 

WILLIAM  MOULTON,  Coxswain,  ‘ Ray  * 

CHARLES  BONNER,  Coxswain,  ‘ Gleam  ’ (died  at  Cyprus) 
FREDERICK  WILSON,  Coxswain,  ‘Mote’ 

BENJAMIN  WALFORD,  Coxswain,  ‘Flash* 

HENRY  DOWMAN,  Lamp  Trimmer 
WILLIAM  PITTUCK,  A.  B. 

JAMES  STURMER,  A.B. 

ROBERT  HATCH,  A.B. 

DAVID  APPLEBY,  A.B. 

HLNRY  WARREN,  A.B. 

GEORGE  COLBERT,  A.B. 

THOMAS  KIRKHAM,  Chief  Engineer 
GEORGE  SALISBURY,  Second  Engineer 


COURSES  D’ORAN. 


422 


so 


P3 

P 

0) 

Qh 

a 

cj 


b£ 

P 

CD 

0D 

s 

0 

cd 

cj 


P , , 

P • 

<a  .£ 
< fa 

cS 

C ^ 


aS 

P 

"O 

O 

P 

pH 

aS 

O 

,_, 

X. 

aS 

XJ 

2P  <u 

c 

P 

P 

P 

ccS 

O 

p 

ccS 

CD 

>-t 

O 

O 

-*-> 

4_> 

CD 

aj 

PP 

CD 

O 

CD 

CD 

P 

P 

P 

CD 

J-H 

t£ 

0 

0 

>rO 

O 

0 

*P 

Ip 

+-> 

<D 

'5- 

CD 

in 

in 

OD 

CD 

O 

oj 

•+-* 

j-i 

m 

CD 

CD 

rt 

+-» 

O 

C-H 

Pn 

O 

P3 

O 

"d 

5— 1 

DP 

P 

CD 

P 

ccj 

OD 

rP 

CD 

4-> 

m 

aj 

'-M 

CD 

O 

JH 

>1 

1— 1 

Ph 

1 1 

O 

CD 


as 


APPENDIX. 


PI 

P 

►— 1 

u 

t— I 

P=H 

P 

o 


1 

8 

R 

8 


CO 

W 

CO 

5 

'W 

p 

Ph  m. 
o 

CO  g 

r 1 TO 

W <4! 
P o 
P o 
W H 

ffi  p 

Cj 

C-J  -a) 

< i 


«n 

00 


H 

P 

rt- 

t-. 

00 


* 


S|  £ | § H §> 

B§h.^1h2 

HH  ju-H"  £ H of  £-5 

<u<uj-»<u>a>5i;'5J 

oddooddd 


<L>  XL 

Js  l 

bJO 


c3  O 

M 


'a>  <u 

S c ■ g 

^ .2  05  3 ctf 

P-P  ►— .<j  <1  p 


M,  C'«6 

w rt  u g s- 

•r-l  2 “ t/3>r^  (n 

rtii-c-n-n  o-n’s 
«<!OOO^OW 


ft,  5 


<1 

P 

o 

o 

p 

Ph 


Wp 

«« 

CO  § 

P V 

P => 
0 * 
° I 

Ph 

w 

p 

/W 


W W P P p p p [£J 

O ddudduu 


■*— > <D  3 

O C'P  d in  ,, 

Sg&f’sasS'g 

'gls&'gal! 

Cd.^(OoJJ-'C<D*LP 

mpppPHhS 


K < 
a.  t> 
O W 


3 g.2  & 

_o  3 d,H  — < .7:  , 
_<u  ^5  J5  at  ^ O/ 


COPPcoP’ 


2 "J 

OP 


APPENDIX. 


423 


1)  4>  V > <L> 

.Js.ts.facj  13  S 
o o 0“  e 2 
a c c rt 

<D  ^ 

HHH  « SH 

*->  *j  j->  o2« 
’«««)><«« 

ddddud 


52 


H 1 H SP 


CJ  UU 


o 

. c 

<N 


W 

CO 

O 

0 

w 

s 

4d 

H-H 

X! 

D 

W 

Q 


O 


'S 

o 

o 

M 


4S 


3 b 
^ 1 
^ -5 
& b 

^ I 


CO 


jp  e -8 
JS^J^-g-g 

kS-0 £.2  :3 
£<<££hK 


' — O oj  'oj 

im^^pqpq 


c/3  c/i  cr  co  in  m 

C C C G C G 

ctf  ctf  ctf  nS  o3  ctf 

IO  IO  Tt-VO  VO  *>• 


HWldSHW 

dddddd 


i.-sst 

D.C.J  I “3 

c/3  ^ £ cj  j2 

WOi-}^  W2 


D 

o 

u 

w 

/W 

co 

N— i 

o 

& 

H 


W £ 

c/3  •« 


.go 


<< 


| o a 

^ SH=d 
WuSpS 


vl>  rt  § 
c § o 
o£  c a. 

g.^.2.a 

Swoo 


wwww 

dddd 


cr1  , 2 
"13  e*  h o 
tn  00  H -d 


5!  H 


.2  o 


S’73  J.O 


• o . o ™ m 

< > — k-t:  pq  X < 


424 


APPENDIX, 


4j4 

2 

H 

< 

D 

O? 


< 

« 

CO 

PS 

D 

O 

u 


u 


W b 


4-4 

5 

<y 

'A 


ns  d vr»  o3 

rrt-C  3 *g  'H 

<dJ2  o g § a. 

6S>?  5 ‘S'tJ  g- 

-c-awaAS^'JO 


^ cj  rt  . 
t»  in  '«  n N .*} 

<0  0)  o 


JS  rt  u u 

CQiOG 


C3CCCCES 

airtxrtrtojasas 

LOCO  O LO  Ti-  C-  IOLO 


WLdWWUWWW 

uuduuuou 


o u 'y  Wj 

2-2.^  S 
^ w 


^ 15  as 

loom 


c g 

C'l 


s 

PN 


'oj  -a 
’;  t3 


a ._ 

o g ,Q 

o.  a j3  Jj 

_ J3  1)  t£  _<U 


u O ‘-5  Ofc2'«  oi'ctf 
2$C/3  <!  </>  <5  H C/3  H 


£ rt  t:  g, 

o -S  s-c-s-c  g^-c*a 

H O<CfflO^ffiO05 

O 

1 ___ 

td 

S £U4£2>°4S-44 


(/)  t/5  7)  C/3  'O  t/J  «/)  r/)  1/1 

cccccc^ca 

rtxrertrtrtnSaJrt 
t^OO  \D  t^OO  VO  N ir>  ON 


KWWWWWWClICsJ 

uouy JJuuJ 


wShP-)0Kn« 


o a 


L 


*5 


,T3 

* 

§ i ?’S  ^ ? <u 
• o «s  ■c  TJ  o 
§ --  : = 

-o  iu  _..  L _c  _c  g 53 
!rt  "re  ° _C  ° 0 ™*-> 
CJ  Cj  eS  it  S IS  r-H  f/0 


3 3 

O 3 

P cS 


.<! 


lc  t-  uj.  y c c 

gsSJ-s-g-SS* 

^3.^0E-3=_L. 

'•S-Sr  l|li^ 

Ctf  -Q  ^ ~ 0-0 

hj  <c  ^ ^ x < ; 


4 P PEND  IX. 


425 


H bp 

'3  o 


uJuJuUO 


_c  , ^ 
■r.  V 


i a <C  O * X <tj 


'<L> 

I 'r, 


c ox  u « Ox  'u  5 >5 
- o a c ? u ciij 
rt  p"'°  <S  *■•  ^ • 2 ^ u 
o E'C  5j  ‘u  '£  "s  ’£  'C 
PiOOffOGfflOO 


•^-  LO  ^ T^- 


Vs.  if)  (J)  J)  ID  T.  ’J)  tfi  C/5 

ncccCcscG 
ctfoSctfojcSaJctfctfctf 
^ mo  vo  Nt 


HHWwwy  w'ww 
uu  udo  Juuu 


_r*  J-i  5-  ^ r- 

rt  ^ =^^,,31 

s £?g^  3< 

o5  & ujZjG  a <u  v 

P3  Q c/2  H cj  a,  P2  H 23 


CO 

£ 

w 


l-n 

< 


defiiA  des  cavaliers  indigenes. 


TEMPERATURE  OF  CYPRUS. 

So  much  has  been  said  and  written  as  to  the  climate  of  Cyprus,  that  I think  the  following  register  of  tempera- 
tures, very  accurately  kept  by  a friend,  may  not  be  without  interest  to  my  readers. 


APPENDIX. 


426 


APPENDIX 


427 


S 

d 

o 

H 


00  10  H LO  ON  00 

00  00  00  00  0.0 


s'  s' 

d d 

00 


s' 

d 

o 

CO 

00 


rj-  to  m o o in  to  o 

CO  00  00  CT\  00  00  00  00 


s 

d 

O 


d 

CO 


a d,  s' 

d o d 

'st-  CO  ON 

d\ 


05 

00 


c 

d 

o 

CO 

IN 


o\  o o 000 

IN  00  00  00  00  00 


d ^ d 

0^0 

CO  00  CO 

IN  IN 


s'  s'  s' 

d d d 

000 

co  co  co 

IN  IN  IN 


00  00  H 05  ON  H 

N N OO  CO  M 00 


00  ON  O On  In  O 

IN  00  00  IN  IN  00 


CO  05  O 01  05  O 

CO  00  00  00  00  00 


CO  H H NO  W to 

co  00  co  in  co  in 


4 g § s"  e-  g a 

cS  c.  d a!  S S S 

O o O d 03 

CO  NO  CO  CO  ^ NO 

no  no  ci 


d d d 


to  IN  VO 


a c 
d d 

ON  00 


a.  a, 

C5  H 


O Ph 

co 

• to  00 


05  05  CO 


05  rt"  VO  00  OnO  h 05 


ii  a.m. 


Mathiati.— Indian  Pal  Tent. 


428 


APPENDIX ; 


0 

CO 

vo 

3 

p 

0 

CO 

dv 

O 

01 

tx  00 

VO 

VO  10 

s 

. g 

p 

0 

P ^ 

CO 

vo  O 

dv 

0 

rh 

00 

00 

0 

01 

0 

00 

Ox 

00 

VO 

00 

ov 

00 

Cx 

to 

to 

P 

3 

p 

10 

'X 

0 

0 

3 

3 

3 

g 

O 

p 

d 

p 

p 

p 

Pu 

co 

01 

0 

01 

M 

H 

to 

0 

M 

0 

M 

0 

Tt- 

01 

vo 

rx 

tx 

00 

ov’ 

01 

01 

0 

>0 

vo 

Cx 

00 

00 

cx 

00 

tx 

Cx 

00 

00 

VO 

to 

00 

3 

d 

3 

d 

0 

0 

g 

d 

g 

3 

d 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

O 

p 

d 

O 

d 

0 

p 

p 

p 

p 

d 

p 

CO 

d> 

01 

CO 

dv 

M 

co 

dv 

01 

0 

H 

Cx 

H 

0 

VO 

00 

ov 

01  00 

00 

00  VO 

<N 

(M 

0 

rf  00 

ov 

tx 

to 

00  00  M 

O 00 

VO 

LO 

LO  to 

ix 

Cx  to 

10 

LO 

to 

to  to 

tx 

to 

CO 

to  to  00 

VO  rj- 

d d c-  d d ^ d ^ -•  d « p 

d d ” d d g d g g g g d g 

oorfoortortrt^rco^ 
tn(ots'!1m^'?tNOOo  r?  vo 
vo  vo  vo  vO  dv  vO 


d Cl 
p d 

H IN 


3 6 
d d 
vo  vo 


vo  vo  N CO  Ov  O 


01  to  VO  Cx  CD  Ov  O 


Mathtati.- -Wooden  Hut. 


APPENDIX. 


429 


fi  S 


a,  ~ 0* 
o & o 


£ £ £ £ £ 
d d a d d 
00000 


g s 


c s 
£ d 

2 ON 


I e 

1 O 


esc 


£ £ £ 


. txo 
£ £ '£ 

d d ^3 


Cl  CM  « Cl 


co  a 0 ci  a ci 


C CO  w 
Cl  ON 


£ £ 


CO  CO  o 

ci  ci 


£ £ 
d d 

Cl 


3 S E E S g 3 g jj  s 

oairtaSccSdod-dddd 
CnCn.°?nO  NNNNCOK^tswojvo 


NO 


NO 


d d d £ 

c c £ d 

d d d o 

00  ^ 

d 


Cl  CO  ^ NO 


Q 


430 


APPENDIX. 


NOTE  A,  p.  253. 

The  gardens  of  the  Temple  of  Venus,  at  Paphos,  are  thus  de- 
scribed by  Ali  Bey  : — 1 I went  to  visit  Inoschipos  Aphroditis,  or 
the  famed  Garden  of  Venus.  It  is  a plain  upon  the  sea-coast, 
which  may  be  about  two  miles  long,  and  slopes  gradually  towards 
the  sea-shore.  The  upper  part  is  surrounded  by  a perpendicular 
height  of  horizontal  layers  of  calcareous  rock,  which  forms  the 
prevailing  feature  of  the  country,  and  gives  the  appearance  of  a 
cavern  to  the  garden  ; for  on  whatever  side  you  enter  you  must 
descend  a ravine  ; and  when  the  wind  blows  strongly  (which  it 
did  when  I was  there)  upon  the  h’gh  land,  it  is  perfectly  serene  in 
the  garden.  At  different  parts  in  the  rock,  several  streams  of  pure 
and  limpid  water  gush  out,  and  it  may  be  perceived  that  there 
were  many  others  formerly  in  various  places.  As  the  water  comes 
from  above,  it  may  have  been  easily  distributed  in  various  parts  of 
the  garden,  on  account  of  its  descent.  The  rocky  heights  form 
several  windings,  which  diversify  the  picture,  and  facilitate  the 
division  of  the  garden  into  several  compartments,  in  which  there 
are  several  grottoes  or  habitations,  hewn  out  of  the  rock. 

1 The  principal  descent  appears  to  me  to  have  been  a sort  of 
staircase,  also  hewn  ; it  exists  at  the  side  of  the  present  village. 
The  vault  is  fallen  in,  and  leaves  the  passage  encumbered  with 
ruins,  which  confirms  me  in  my  opinion  that  the  garden  was 
entered  by  a grotto  similar  to  that  I have  mentioned. 

‘ Perhaps  the  candidate  was  detained  here  to  undergo  his  pro- 
bation, or  to  participate  in  the  mysteries  of  initiation.  In  this 
case,  when  he  was  restored  to  light  in  the  garden,  he  thought 
himself  transported  into  the  celestial  regions.  It  is  certain  that 
this  rock  is  considerably  undermined,  for  it  may  be  observed  that 
in  several  places  there  are  many  openings  and  fallings  in  ; and, 
according  to  this  hypothesis,  who  could  describe  the  obscure 
labyrinth  which  those  who  were  to  be  initiated  had  to  traverse 
before  they  entered  into  the  garden?" 


APPENDIX. 


43i 


NOTE  B,  p.  301. 

The  following  is  a description  given  by  the  same  traveller,  Ali 
Bey,  of  his  reception  and  treatment  by  the  then  Archbishop  of 
Cyprus,  in  1800,  from  which  it  will  be  seen  that  matters  have  not 
changed  greatly  since  that  time  : — 4 Having  finished  my  visit  to  the 
Serail,  I repaired  to  the  archbishop’s  palace,  and  found  at  the  en- 
trance the  Archimandrite  and  the  steward,  with  twenty  or  thirty 
domestics  to  receive  me.  At  the  foot  of  the  staircase  a multitude 
of  priests  took  me  up  and  carried  me  to  the  first  gallery,  where  the 
“ In  partibus  ” received  me,  with  another  lot  of  priests.  In  the  second 
gallery  I found  the  archbishop.  The  venerable  old  man,  although 
his  legs  were  exceedingly  swelled,  had  got  himself  transported  by 
the  Bishop  of  Paphos,  and  five  or  six  more,  who  supported  him, 
to  meet  me.  I made  some  friendly  reproaches  for  the  trouble  he 
had  taken  on  my  account ; then,  giving  him  my  hand,  we  entered 
into  his  room.  An  Italian  physician,  called  Buononi,  settled  at 
Nikosia,  who  had  adopted  the  dress,  manners,  and  customs  of 
the  Greeks,  served  me  as  interpreter.  He  is  a man  of  pleasant 
humour,  well-informed,  very  arch,  and  quite  free  from  prejudice. 
The  venerable  archbishop  related  to  me  the  vexatious  treatment 
he  had  suffered  the  last  year  from  the  rebel  Turks  of  the  island. 
I strove  to  comfort  his  heart,  still  sore  from  past  evils.  We  talked 
long  together  on  the  subject,  and  after  the  wonted  honours  of 
coffee,  perfumes,  and  scented  water,  we  parted,  with  sentiments 
of  cordial  affection. 

4 I afterwards  visited,  in  his  dwelling,  the  steward,  where  we  met 
the  Bishop  of  Paphos  and  his  colleagues  44  in  partibus  ; ” and  what 
was  my  surprise  when,  on  coming  out,  I found  again  the  venerable 
archbishop  in  the  gallery,  who  had  made  them  conduct  him  hither 
to  bid  me  a last  farewell.  I cannot  express  how  much  I was 
affected  at  this  kindness  from  the  respectable  old  man.  I tried  to 
chide  him  for  it,  but  the  words  died  away  on  my  lips.  In  this 
manner  I concluded  my  visits  of  etiquette.’ 


432 


APPENDIX. 


NOTE  C. 

By  an  oversight,  two  days  were  omitted  from  page  1 1 1 in  print- 
ing my  1874  journal,  viz.  November  13  and  14.  Unfortunately 
the  portion  thus  omitted  contains  the  description  of  the  following 
incidents,  which  are  specially  referred  to  in  the  1878  journal. 

(1)  Visit  of  Turkish  Ladies  to  the  ‘ Sunbeam! 

Friday , November  13. — To-day  Madame  Hilmeh,  grand- 
daughter of  Fuad  Pasha,  came  off  to  pay  me  a visit  and  see 
the  yacht.  She  wore  the  very  thinnest  of  yashmaks  and  a lovely 
blue  silk  feridjee,  trimmed  with  Brussels  lace,  which,  when  re- 
moved, disclosed  a lovely  pale  salmon-coloured  dress,  with  a 
Pompadour  peplum,  trimmed  with  a good  deal  of  light  blue,  and 
a bonnet  to  match,  with  salmon-coloured  feathers.  She  bowed 
and  spoke  to  all  the  gentlemen  on  board,  and  had  quite  a long 
chat  with  Tom  in  the  deck-house  in  French  ; but  then  she  is 
one  of  the  most  eager  for  emancipation  among  the  Turkish  ladies. 
Fler  husband  and  her  father,  Khanil  Bey,  are  liberal-minded  men, 
and  the  former  even  talks  of  realising  all  his  worldly  goods  and 
settling  in  Paris,  that  his  wife  may  enjoy  herself  a little  more. 
She  was  delighted  with  the  yacht,  and  was  very  anxious  that  we 
should  get  up  steam  and  carry  her  off  to  England,  leaving  her 
husband  and  children  to  follow  by  land  ; but  the  difficulties  in  the 
way  of  her  getting  leave  to  quit  the  country  would  be  enormous. 
Some  years  hence,  if  a revolution  occurs  in  the  manners  and  cus- 
toms of  Turkish  ladies,  it  will  be  rather  interesting  to  look  back 
on  the  visits  of  the  first  four  ladies  who  had  courage  to  obtain 
permission  to  break  what,  for  ages,  have  been  the  civil  and  reli- 
gious laws  of  their  country,  and  pay  their  first  visit  to  a European. 
We  are  rather  amused  to  hear  that  the  Sultan  is  getting  quite 
jealous  of  the  yacht,  and  thinks  it  attracts  more  attention  than 
anything  not  belonging  to  him  ought  to  do.  Having  heard  of  the 
visits  of  the  other  Princesses  and  ladies,  the  Imperial  Princesses 
are  anxious  to  come  on  board  also,  and  that  would  be  a still  more 
terrible  infringement  of  etiquette.  Flis  admiration  of  the  yacht, 


APPENDIX : 


433 


however,  has  made  him  extremely  kind  to  us,  and  has  procured  us 
permission  to  see  Beylerbey  and  Tcheragan  in  the  most  agreeable 
manner,  and  under  the  pleasantest  circumstances. 

(2)  Visit  to  the  Palace  of  Tcheragan. 

Saturday , November  14. — We  were  called  early,  and  started  at 
9 a.m.  for  the  palace  of  Tcheragan,  Mr.  Foster  and  Mr.  Wrench 
accompanying  us  ; for  it  is  so  difficult  to  get  permission  to 
see  the  palaces,  that,  though  these  gentlemen  have  been  here 
for  years,  they  have  never  thought  it  worth  while  to  take  all  the 
trouble  necessary  for  a resident  to  do  so.  We  found  the  ser- 
vants all  ready  to  receive  us,  and,  entering  a large  hall,  went  up 
a magnificent  staircase  into  another  large  hall  of  exquisite  pro- 
portions and  beautifully  decorated.  This  was  surrounded  with 
suites  of  rooms  on  the  same  plan  as  Beylerbey,  only  much  larger 
and  handsomer.  All  the  rooms  were  splendidly  furnished.  A 
great  deal  of  the  furniture  is  by  Turkish  workmen.  Some  cabinets, 
wooden,  marqueterie,  and  others,  inlaid  with  mother-of-pearl  and 
lapis  lazuli,  were  about  the  most  beautiful  I had  ever  seen.  The 
doors,  too,  were  all  inlaid  with  mother-of-pearl,  and  had  solid 
silver  handles.  The  chairs  were  handsomely  carved  and  gilt,  the 
divans  were  covered  with  the  richest  stuffs.  One  or  two  of  the 
rooms  were  hung  with  stiff  gold  brocade,  another  with  Damascus 
work,  all  hand-woven,  with  threads  of  gold  and  solid  bullion 
tassels.  The  bath  itself  and  all  the  adjacent  rooms  are  perfectly 
lovely  in  shape,  and  are  decorated  with  the  purest  white  marble, 
carved  and  traced  with  an  infinitude  of  patterns.  The  cushions 
were  all  white  and  gold  brocade — no  colour.  Downstairs  there 

were  more  splendid  rooms,  and  a magnificent  hall,  with  black  and 
white  marble  columns.  But  how  am  I to  go  on  describing  palaces 
where  everything  is  alike  beautiful,  and  each  room  and  hall  more 
gorgeous  and  larger  than  the  last?  We  went  to  the  gardens, 
which  were  full  of  flowers,  and  to  a very  pretty  kiosk,  and  then 
stepped  into  our  boat  again,  after  feeing  the  civil  servants,  who 
looked  far  too  great  swells  to  think  of  backshish,  but  who  never- 
theless accepted  it  with  gratitude. 


434 


APPENDIX. 


1 878. 

SUMMARY  OF  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  YACHT  ‘ SUNBEAM ' 

from  Portsmouth  to  Brest , Vigo,  Cadiz,  Gibraltar,  Oran,  Cagliari, 
Naples,  Messina,  Cyprus,  Rhodes,  Gallipoli , Constantmople,  Yeni 
Liman , Syra,  Milo , Malta,  and  Marseilles,  September  20  to 
Deceinber  29,  1878. 


Date 

Lat. 

Long. 

Distance  run 

Remarks 

Sail 

Steam 

1878 

0 N , 

0 w , 

Knots 

Knots  I 

Sept.  20 

50  0 ! 

3 7 

95 

— 1 

Off  Start  Point 

21 

48  19 

4 45 

— 

*32 

Off  Cape  St.  Matthieu 

22 

— 

— 

- 

- 

At  Brest 

23 

48  16 

4 40 

— 

57 

Left  Brest 

24 

45  19 

7 5° 

221 

_ 

Bay  of  Biscay 

25 

43  1 

10 

00 

hi 

63 

Off  Cape  Finisterre 

26 

42  13 

8 40 

— 

72 

Arrived  at  Vigo 

27  and  28 

— 

— 

— 

At  Vigo 

29 

41  14 

9 6 

42 

39 

Sailed  from  Vigo 

30 

39  20 

9 30 

120 

— 

Off  Cape  Peniche 

Oct.  1 

37  0 

8 46 

I72 

— 

Off  Cape  Sagres 

2 

36  56  ; 

7 18 

81 

— 

Off  mouth  of  Guadiana 

3 

36  30  1 

6 12 

60 

Arrived  at  Cadiz 

4 to  7 

— 

— 

— 

— 

At  Cadiz 

8 

36  6 

5 20 

80 

— 

Cadiz  to  Gibraltar 

9 and  10 

— 

— 

— 

— 

At  Gibraltar 

11 

— 

EAST 

6 

— 

Left  Gibraltar 

12 

36  17 

4 29 

WEST 

60 

— 

j Off  Malaga 

13 

36  31 

2 5 

84 

37 

Cape  de  Gata  N 16  miles 

T A 
— r 

36  13 

1 20 

108 

— 

Off  Cape  Falcon 

IS 

35  43 

j 0 28 

I EAST 

6 

25 

Arrived  at  Oran 

16 

36  3° 

O 15 

34 

32 

j Left  Oi an.  Off  Mostaghanem 

17 

37  34 

3 38 

129 

32 

Off  Cape  Bengut 

18 

38  1 7 

6 38 

168 

— 

Cape  Spartivento  E 90  miles 

19 

39  12 

9 7 

45 

71 

Arrived  at  Cagliari 

20 

— 

— 

— 

At  Cagliari 

— 

— 

— 

— 

Left  Cagliari,  and  becalmed  all  day 

22 

39  6 

9 43 

51 

— 

Off  Cape  Carbonara 

23 

39  59 

; 12  25 

1 i45 

— 

APPENDIX. 


435 


1878.  Summary  of  Voyage  — continued. 


Distance  run 

Date 

Lat. 

Long. 

Remarks 

Sail  j 

Steam 

1878 

Oct.  24 

O N , 
40  50 

0 E 1 

T4  15 

Knots 

9° 

Knots 

Arrived  at  Naples 

25  to  30 

— 

— 

— 

— 

At  Naples 

3i 

40  30 

14  19 

25 

— 

Left  Naples.  Hove-to  off  Capri 

Nov.  1 

38  56 

15  16 

114 

— 

Off  Stromboli 

2 

38  11 

15  33 

71 

34 

Arrived  at  Messina 

3 

37  10 

18  16 

135 

28 

4 

35  52 

22  46 

234 

— 

Off  Cerigo 

5 

35  3i 

26  39 

193 

— 

Off  Naxos 

6 

34  55 

29  53 

164 

— 

7 

34  43 

32  28 

27 

122 

At  Port  Papho 

8 

34  38 

33  2 * 

— 

40 

Arrived  at  Limasol 

9 

34  36 

33  39 

— 

45 

Arrived  at  Larnaka 

10  to  12 

— 

— 

— 

— 

At  Larnaka 

13 

34  56 

33  52 

— 

— 

Left  Larnaka  11.30  a.111.  Off 
Cape  Pita 

14 

35  20 

33  T9 

— 

171 

Off  Kyrenia 

is 

35  8 

32  47 

— 

40 

In  Morfu  Bay 

17 

35  • 36 

3i  24 

11 

69 

Rhodes  WNW  160  miles 

18 

35  54 

31  *9 

16 

— 

Off  Cape  Khelidonia 

19 

] 36  27 

28  19 

— 

I53 

Arrived  at  Rhodes 

20 

36  28 

28  1 

3 

10 

Left  Rhodes 

21 

37  40 

25  57 

7 

149 

OffNikaria 

22 

38  59 

25  39 

98 

— 

Off  Mitylene 

23 

40  1 

26  10 

87 

— 

In  the  Dardanelles 

24 

40  24 

26  41 

19 

17 

Off  Gallipoli 

25 

0 

to 

00 

27  0 

30 

— 

Left  Gallipoli.  Off  the  lines  of 
Boulair 

26 

40  23 

27  33 

98 

— 

Arrived  at  Artaki  Bay 

27  to  30 

— 

— 

— 

— 

In  Artaki  Bay 

Dec.  1 

41  0 

j 29  0 

80 

10 

Arrived  at  Constantinople 

to  II 

— 

— 

— 

- 

At  Constantinople 

12 

40  24 

26  40 

105 

20 

Left  Constantinople.  Arrived 

at  ^Gallipoli 

T3 

40  7 

26  23 

1 — 

23 

Off  Chanak 

14 

39  20 

26  22 

82 

64 

At  Yeni  Liman 

15 

38  48 

26  37 

— 

39 

16 

37  28 

24  55 

— 

j 135 

At  Syra 

. x7 

' 37  10 

! 25  0 

25 

1 __ 

Between  Syra  and  Paros 

436 


APPENDIX. 


1878.  Summary  of  Voyage — continued. 


Date 

Long. 

Distance  run 

Remarks 

Sail 

Steam 

1878 

0 N , 

0 w / 

Knots 

Knots 

Dec.  18 

36  26 

24  29 

106 

~ 

Off  Milo 

19 

36  35 

23  46 

38 

45 

Off  Karavi 

20 

36  6 

20  12 

— 

176 

) 

21 

36  7 

16  32 

63 

n 7 

r To  Malta 

1 

22 

36  9 

i5  23 

95 

— 

) 

23 

35  53 

14  30 

80 

18 

Arrived  at  Valetta 

24 

— 

— 

— 

— 

At  Malta 

25 

37  25 

I2  54 

- 

147 

Off  Cape  Granitola 

26 

38  24 

9 7 

161 

53 

Off  Cape  Spartivento 

27 

41  8 

6 21  j 

60 

146 

28 

43  2 

5 2i  1 

107 

24 

Off  Ciolat 

29 

— 

— 

— 

Arrived  at  Marseilles 

Total  distance  run 


Knats 
j Sail  4, 182 
( Steam  2,515 


6, 697 


POSTSCRIPT. 


Many  people  have  remarked  that  in  my  last  book  I did  not  give 
any  idea  of  the  cost  of  such  an  expedition  as  the  one  therein  de- 
scribed. To  do  this  with  absolute  correctness  would  be  rather 
difficult,  as  the  items  come  under  so  many  different  heads,  and 
so  much  depends  on  the  administration,  and  on  the  tastes  of  the 
party.  Pilots  we  employ  very  rarely, — never,  in  fact,  except  when 
compelled  to  do  so.  Their  fees,  moreover,  are  not  so  high  as  is 
generally  supposed.  Harbour  and  port  dues  are  not  an  expensive 
item  to  a yacht  hying  the  flags  of  any  of  the  Royal  Yacht  Clubs. 
Yachts  can  now  be  bought  at  almost  any  price,  ranging  from  io/. 
per  ton.  An  able  seaman,  with  his  clothes,  costs  about  30 x.  a 
week.  Wages  now  average  26s.,  with  a shilling  or  two  more  for 
men  performing  extra  duties,  such  as  coxswains,  quartermasters, 
storekeepers,  or  sailkeepers.  The  men  all  find  themselves  in  pro- 
visions. Cooks  get  from  30^.  to  2/.,  stewards  the  same,  the  rates 
varying  according  to  the  size  of  the  yacht  and  the  responsibility 
of  their  position.  Skippers  and  engineers  receive  from  3/.  to  4/. 
a week.  The  owner  usually  provides  for  this  latter  class,  besides 
giving  them  a certain  allowance  for  clothes. 

Living  is  not  more  expensive  afloat  than  on  shore.  Taking 
one  place  with  another,  some  things  are  dearer  here,  cheaper 
there,  and  thus  the  average  is  maintained  throughout. 

Steaming  we  find,  on  the  whole,  much  cheaper  than  sailing,  as 
the  consumption  of  coal  is  not  nearly  so  costly  as  the  wear  and 
tear  of  sails  and  ropes,  especially  when  they  flap  about  in  a calm. 
Of  course,  on  board  a yacht,  as  everywhere  else,  expenses  depend 
very  much  on  the  disposition  of  the  owner  and  the  way  in  which 
he  manages  his  affairs.  Having  determined  the  size  of  the  yacht 
and  the  number  of  his  guests,  staff,  and  crew,  he  can  easily 


438 


POSTSCRIPT. 


calculate  his  approximate  expense,  always  remembering  that  altera- 
tions on  board,  however  trifling,  long  land  journeys,  hotel  bills, 
and  shopping  on  shore,  add  largely  to  the  cost  of  the  voyage. 

The  ‘ Sunbeam  ; was  designed  by  Mr.  St.  Clare  Byrne,  of  Liver- 
pool, and,  as  first  launched,  may  be  technically  defined  as  a 
composite  three-masted  screw  schooner.  Topsail  yards  were 
added  to  her  foremast,  and  several  other  slight  alterations  made 
for  her  voyage  round  the  world.  The  engines,  by  Messrs.  Laird, 
are  of  70  nominal  or  350  indicated  horse-power,  and  developed  a 
speed  of  10.13  knots  on  the  measured  mile.  The  bunkers  con- 
tain 80  tons  of  coal.  The  average  daily  consumption  is  4 tons, 
and  the  speed  ten  knots  in  fine  weather  under  steam.  Under  sail 
she  has  done  fifteen,  frequently  twelve,  and  for  many  days  together 
on  a long  voyage  kept  up  an  average  of  nine.  The  principal 
dimensions  of  the  hull  are  : — Length  for  tonnage,  157  ft.  ; beam, 
extreme,  27  ft.  6 in.;  displacement  tonnage,  531  tons;  area  of 
midship  section,  202  square  feet. 


INDEX 


AAR 


BAR 


A ARIF  Pasha,  86,  107,  109 

Abdul  Aziz,  Sultan,  67-71  ; his 
nephews,  71  ; his  fancy  for  the  yacht, 
78  ; his  message  of  thanks,  86  ; | 
sketches  by,  88,  1 1 3 

Abdul  Hamid  II.,  Sultan,  336;  descrip-  j 
tion  of,  348  ; his  character,  350  ; his 
farming  partnership  scheme,  368 
Acropolis  of  Athens,  40,  41 
Adramytium,  gulf  of,  3 77 
Adrianople,  excursion  to,  354,  356  ; 
havoc  wrought  in,  358  ; festive  scene 
at,  360 

yEgean,  rough  night  in  the,  376 
Higina,  island  of,  37 
Africa,  north  coast  of,  27,  216 
Ajaccio,  167 
Alcazar,  the,  197 

Alexandretta,  wonderlul  sport  at,  372 
Alexandria  Troas,  49 
Algeciras,  24 
Algiers,  26 
Ali  Bey,  105 

Ali  Bey,  the  traveller,  cited,  265 
Allix,  Colonel,  369 
Almeria,  210 
Amalfi,  238 

Anacapri.  excursion  to,  245 
Anchor,  ship’s  chain  fished  up  by,  93 
dragging  of,  1 20 
Andoe,  Captain,  15 
Anemones,  sea,  24 
Antiparos,  island  of,  381 
Apostoli,  44 


Aqueducts,  Turkish,  75,  122 

Arab  riders,  9 ; races,  213 

Arbutus  bushes,  33 1 

Archimandrite  of  Cyprus,  268,  299 

Archipelago,  48  ; commerce  of  the,  125 

Argalasti,  48 

Argos,  36 

Argostoli  harbour,  134 
Armenian  women,  80 
Armenians,  money-making  habits  of, 
275 

Arta,  gulf  of,  138 

Artaki  Bay,  323  ; sports  at,  329,  332 
Asp,  a real,  302 
Athens,  excursion  to,  39 
Athienu,  263,  281 
Athos,  Mount,  monastery  on,  48 
Atlas  mountains,  16,  216 
Ayasolook,  121 

Azimuth  compass  carried  overboard,  7 
Azizieh,  Princess,  78,  97  ; presents 
from,  1 12;  her  visit  to  the  yacht, 
348 


g ABIES,  French,  180 
Bagtcheh  Keui,  75 
Bairam,  103  ; Kourban,  345,  360 
Baker  Pasha,  345,  369  ; his  fortifica- 
tions, 351,  369 
Balbus,  house  of,  229 
Balukli,  miraculous  fishes  of,  1 06 
Bantams,  91 
Barb,  pugnacious,  17 


440 


INDEX. 


BAS 

Bastia,  166 

Bathing  at  Gibraltar,  24 
Battle,  welcome  back  to,  405 
Bayona  Islands,  182 
Bazaars,  53,  57,  92,  101,  116,  342,  344, 
345 

Beccaficos,  259 
Beikos,  73 

Belgrade,  forest  of,  75 

Belo  Poulo  island,  36 

Besika  Bay,  49,  314 

Beylerbey,  palace  at,  63  ; visit  to,  107 

Biddulph,  Colonel,  271 

Bighi  Bay,  391 

Bigliotti,  Mr.,  1 1 7 

Bill  of  fare,  Constantinople,  95 

Bill  of  health  left  behind,  8,  166,  193 

Birds  blown  on  board,  217 

Biscay,  Bay  of,  6,  181 

Bishop,  Mr.,  3 

Black  Sea,  76 

Blunt,  Colonel,  and  the  poor  Turk,  371 
Boar-hunt  in  Morocco,  19 
Boarding  by  night  in  a gale,  4 
Bolton,  Captain,  287 
Bonchurch,  3,  179 
Bonitas,  206 

Bonner  left  ill  at  Larnaka,  282  ; his 
pigeon,  317,  320;  his  death,  337 
Boolgoorloo,  view  from,  63 
Boom,  main,  accident  to,  6 
Bordighera,  170 
Bosphorus,  up  the,  64 
Boulair,  318 
Bowsprit  snapped,  93 
Boyer,  Madame,  97 
Brackenbury,  Colonel,  267 
Brassey,  the  late  Mr,  55 
Brest,  179 

Briar-root  pipes,  168 
Bride,  Moorish,  13 
Brigand,  history  of  a Syrian,  285 
Brigands,  28,  44,  47,  150,  398;  cap- 
ture of,  238 

Brine,  Captain  Lindesay,  331 
Broussa,  excursion  to,  91 


CAT 

Buffavento,  290 

Building,  Turkish  superstition  concern- 
ing, 108,  336 

Buoys,  Spanish  fishermen’s,  190 
Butrinto  river,  140 

Byron,  Lord,  scene  of  his  adventure 
with  robbers,  44 ; his  house  at  Me- 
laxata,  136 

^AASBA,  the,  12 

Cadiz,  193,  201  ; pigeon  caught 
at;  317 

Cafe  a la  turque,  1 1 
Cafidje,  the  Sultan’s,  351 
Cagliari,  218  ; streets  of,  220 
Caiques,  52,  62,  63  ; the  Sultan’s,  84 
Calais,  172 
Calvert,  Consul,  361 
Camels,  116,  121,  375 
Camp,  a model,  291 
Campimento,  25 
Cannebiere,  the,  402 
Capes  : Agate  (de  Gata),  210;  Blanco, 
256;  Falcon,  21 1;  Finisterre,  6, 
182  ; Gallo,  27  ; Gatto,  256;  Hydra, 
36 ; Kormakiti,  294 ; Malea,  129, 
388;  Matapan,  36,  129;  Monda, 
136;  Ortegal,  6;  Peniche,  191  ; 
Sacratif,  207  ; Sagres,  191  ; St. 
Mary,  8 ; St.  Vincent,  8 ; St.  Vito, 
27;  Scalambra,  397;  Seakeas,  133, 
136;  Sigri,  49376  ; Skinari,  133; 
Spartel,  8;  Spartivento,  151,  217, 
247 ; Sunium,  43  ; Tenez,  26  ; Zeo- 
gari,  256 
Capri,  242,  245 
Caralis,  the  ancient,  228 
Carob  trees,  292 
Carpets,  Turkey,  118 
Castellamare,  Bay  of,  27  ; visits  to  the 
dockyard  at,  235,  239 
Castles  of  Koumelia  and  Anatolia,  315 
Castro,  127,  384 

Cats,  wild,  of  Cyprus,  256  ; lavender- 
coloured,  327 


INDEX. 


44r 


CAT 

Cathedrals:  Cadiz,  194;  Cagliari,  222; 
Monreale,  28;  Vigo,  185;  Seville, 
195 

Cavias,  beauty  of  its  inhabitants,  227 
Cemeteries,  Turkish,  81  ; at  Gibraltar, 
203  ; Sardinian,  227 
Cephalonia,  135 
Cerigo  island,  36 
Cerigotto,  island  of,  248 
Cesnola,  excavations  of,  256 ; his  work 
cited,  280 
Ceuta,  22,  207 
Chalcis,  ancient,  45 
Chanak-Kalesi,  49,  115,  315,  375 
Chaos,  village  so  called,  302 
Chaussee  de  Sein,  6 
Chicken-pox,  181 
Child,  a lost,  401 

Children  sent  home  from  Gibraltar,  14 
Chinese  midshipman  on  board  the 
‘ Minotaur,’  252 

Chios,  island  of,  49,  123,  379,  313 
Chlebowski,  Mr.,  88,  101  ; present 

from,  1 13 

Christmas,  preparations  for,  at  Malta, 
392,  394  ; keeping  of,  on  board,  396 
Chumleyjah,  63 

Church,  Greek,  interior  of  a,  268,  300 
Circello,  Mount,  165 
Citium,  site  of,  259 
Cloaks,  Turkish  ladies’,  84 
Cockatoo,  honour  paid  to  a,  352 
Collision  in  Portsmouth  harbour,  177  ; 

narrow  escapes  of,  120,  208 
Commanderia,  the,  257 
Companion  smashed  in,  7 
Conca  d’oro,  Palermo,  28 
Constantinople,  5 1 , 334,  364  ; walls  of, 
105  ; altered  condition  of,  339 ; 
change  of  ministry  in,  346,  348 
Contract  work  in  Turkey,  no,  356 
Convent,  Carthusian,  160,  234  ; Greek, 
298 

Coral,  black,  246 

Coral  shops,  Messina,  33  ; Naples,  159 
Corcubion,  182 


DOG 

Corfu,  139  ; dress  of  women  in,  145 

Corsica,  166 

Cortazzi,  Mr.,  115 

Coruna  harbour,  181 

Cowes,  5 

Crabs,  peculiar,  195 
Crake,  Mr.,  95,  154 
Crete,  coast  of;  248 
Cross,  the  ‘true,’  380 
Cyclamens,  302 
Cyclades,  among  the,  381 
Cyclopean  masonry,  119,  127 
Cypresses  in  graveyards,  81 
Cypriote  women,  297 
Cyprus,  coast  of,  250,  256  ; shape  of, 
28S  ; climate  of,  252  ; fertility  of, 
254,  258  ; temperature  of,  268,  271, 
274,  277,  296  ; prevalence  of  fever 
in,  278  ; antiquities  smuggled  from, 
282  ; cheapness  of  provisions  in, 
291  ; women  of,  297  ; health  of  our 
party  in,  304  ; British  possession  of, 
305  ; hasty  occupation  of,  325 
Cyzicus,  329,  330 

f)ALI,  279 

Damos,  Bay  of,  136 
Daniel,  Mr.,  331 

Dardanelles,  375  ; entering  by  night, 
50  ; by  day,  315 
De  Lancey,  Captain,  295 
Delessert,  M.,  cited,  225 
Delis,  44 
Delos,  381 

Deluge  through  porthole,  140 

Derelict  toy  ship,  187 

Dervishes,  dancing,  77  ; howling,  81 

Devil’s  current,  105 

Diamonds,  Paphian,  255 

Diana’s  bath,  117  ; temple,  121 

Dining  scene,  181 

Dixon,  Mr.  Hep  worth,  253 

Djamil  Pasha,  365 

Dogs,  Constantinople,  53,  56,  58,  59  ; 
dying  from  fever  in  Cyprus,  305 


442 


INDEX. 


DOL 

Dolmabagtcheh,  67,  84.  367 
Donkey,  dead,  263 
Dormer,  Colonel,  267 
Dresses,  secondhand,  market  for,  53 
Dressing-table,  diamond  and  ruby,  61 
Drokho,  44 

Duranta,  shrub  so  called,  1 5 1 


J7AGLE,  121 

Earthquakes  at  Euripo,  47; 
Rhodes,  308 
Eclipse,  solar,  35 
Elias,  Mount,  381 
Elliot,  Sir  Henry  and  Lady,  72 
Embassy,  Austrian,  353  ; English,  65, 
107,  370 

Encampment,  our,  in  Morocco,  17 

Engineer  of  the  ‘ Violet/  94 

Ephesus,  1 21 

Episcopi,  256 

Etna,  Mount,  34,  151,  398 

Euripo,  44 

Evil  eye,  Jewish  charms  against  the, 
21  ; Sultan’s  dread  of  the,  108 


J7AIR,  Spanish,  188 

Falconera,  island  of,  388 
Falconer’s  shipwreck,  place  of,  44 
Famagousta,  283 
Farming  by  the  Sultan,  368 
Feast  of  Tabernacles,  21 
Fergusson,  Mr.,  referred  to,  337 
Fernando,  San,  201 
Ferns,  187 
Fete,  Arab,  213 

Fever  3,000  feet  above  sea  level,  293 
Fever-haunt,  a sportsman’s,  287 
Fire,  Sultan’s  dread  of,  69 
Fire-engines,  Turkish,  64 
Fish-market  at  Vigo,  184,  188 
Fisheries  off  Bayona  islands,  182,  189 
Fitzroy,  Captain,  torpedo  experiments 
of,  33 1 

Fleet,  Turkish,  109  ; French,  215 


HAS 

Fleet  hounds,  the,  314 
Flying-fish,  27,  206 
Fog,  a night  of,  189 
Foster,  Mr.,  55,  80 
French,  Empress  of  the,  her  visit  to 
Constantinople,  61,  63,  108,  109 
Friday,  starting  on,  1,  2,  178 
Fruit  amidst  drought,  38 
Fuad  Pasha,  reforms  of,  99 
Fundukli,  77,  334 
Furin,  village  of,  262 

QADAKIRA  Bay,  48 

Ga'idaro,  island  of,  379 
Galita  island,  27 
Gallipoli,  1 15,  316,  373 
Gamecocks,  Turkish,  91 
Garousta,  144 

Genoese  castle  at  Smyrna,  119 
Giant’s  mountain,  73 
Giaour,  the  kiss  of  a,  109 
Gibraltar,  14,  202 
Gifford,  Lord,  267,  268 
Gluttony,  a Sultan’s,  70 
Golden  Horn,  52,  86,  no,  334 
Grampuses,  114 
Grapes,  ‘ fragola,’  244 
Greaves,  Colonel,  267 
Greci,  church  of  the,  154 
Greeks,  costume  of,  37,  145  ; curiosity 
of,  128,  271 
Grenfell,  Captain,  239 
Grotto  of  the  Nymphs,  137  ; stalactite, 
168 

Guadalquivir,  mouth  of  the,  192 
Guinea  pigs,  family  of,  394 
Guy  Fawkes  at  sea,  249 

J-JALIL  Pasha,  99 

Hammick,  Commander,  331 
Hanson,  Mrs.,  371 

Harems,  reform  of,  68,  99,  349  ; visits 
to,  78,  96  ; furniture  of,  87,  108 
Hastings,  2 


INDEX. 


443 


HAW 

Hawks,  17,  141 
Hay,  Lord  John,  251 
Herbert,  Mr.,  267,  290,  277,  295,  303 
Hermit  of  Malea,  388 
Herodotus,  referred  to,  132 
Hilmeh,  Madame,  79  ; present  from, 
112 

Hobart  Pasha,  342 
Holbech,  Lieutenant,  290,  291 
Holiday  at  Seville,  201 
Holland,  Commander,  331 
Honey  from  Mount  Hymettus,  42 
Horaghe,  Sardinian,  227 
Hornby,  Admiral,  324,  328,  329,  333, 
349  ; his  impression  of  Cyprus,  324 
Horses,  Arab,  9,  17,  67,  348 
Hurricane  off  Milo,  382 
Huts,  soldiers’,  in  Cyprus,  270,  292 

JCARUS,  legend  of,  312 
Idalium,  the  ancient,  279 
Indian  troops  in  Cyprus,  261 
Inns,  curious,  18,  31 1 
Ionian  islands,  government  of,  133,  144  I 
loos,  island  of,  48 
Ipsara,  island  of,  49.  314 
Irrigation,  Athenian,  41  ; Moorish, 
214 

Ischia,  island  of,  158 
Italian  innkeeper  at  Artaki,  his  adven- 
tures, 327 
Ithaca,  136 

Izachastra,  village  of,  297 
Izzet  Bey,  99,  102,  344,  365 

JANISSARIES,  museum  of  the,  60 
Japanese  midshipman  on  board 
the  ‘ Minotaur,’  251 
Jelly-fish,  7 

Jewellery,  Sardinian,  221 
Jewels,  cheap,  342 
Jews  of  Tetuan,  18,  21 
Joshua’s  tomb,  73 
Jupiter  Olympius,  temple  of,  41 


us 

AIMAK  AM,  misfortunes  of  a,  371 
j Kaloy era  rocks,  313 

I Kampos,  village  of,  297 
Kandili,  64,  105 
Kara  Bournou,  379 
Karamania,  mountains  of,  307 
Karavastasia,  294,  303 
Karavi,  island  of,  388 
Kattirdji-Janni,  a Syrian  brigand,  285 
Khabyles,  disturbances  among  the,  12 
Khaireddin  Pasha,  367 
j Khania,  248 

Khedive,  the,  98  ; his  fleecing,  64 
Khilid-Bahri,  315 

Kiasim,  Madame  Ikbal,  99,  344  ; her 
visits  to  the  yacht,  102,  348  ; present 
from,  1 12 

Kikko,  convent  of,  298 

Koran,  Turkish  lady’s  view  of  the,  99 

Koulleli-Bourgas,  363 

Kourban  Bairam,  345,  360 

Ktima,  253,  254 

Kyrenia,  290 

Kythrasa,  excursion  to,  273 

LACE,  old  Greek,  394 

Lamp,  peculiar  Moorish,  23 
La  Pais,  convent  of,  293 
Lapps  and  Arabs,  10 
Larnaka,  260,  281 

Layard,  Sir  Henry  and  Lady,  346, 

369 

Lefka,  excursion  to,  302  ; Mudir  of, 
303 

Lemon,  enormous,  143 
Levant,  Flower  of  the,  333 
‘ Levant  Herald,’  editor  of  the,  365 
Lilford,  Lord,  natural  history  col- 
lection of,  301 
Lilies,  peculiar,  15 1 
Lilli  Bourgas,  356 
Liman,  island  of,  333 
Limasol,  257 
Lipari  islands,  32,  158 
Lisbon,  rock  of,  6 


444 


INDEX. 


MAC 

iyj  ‘CALM ON T,  Captain,  290,  295, 
303  ; his  adventures  with  the 
Turkish  army,  302 
M‘Crae,  Captain,  14 
Madona,  island  of,  139 
Maidenhair  fern,  132,  275 
Malta,  391 

Man-of-war,  Spanish,  12  ; Turkish,  87 
Mansell,  Captain,  46 
Mansourah,  214 
Marathon,  44 
Marbella,  207 
Maritimo  island,  27 
Maritza,  river,  357 
Market-boats,  Spanish,  185 
Marmora,  Sea  of,  51,  333  ; rough  day 
in,  93  ; perils  of  navigation  in,  114 
Marseilles,  399  ; parting  from  the  yacht 
at,  403 

Mars-el-Kibir,  215 
Mashleck,  65,  88 
Mastic,  cultivation  of,  123 
Mastic  liqueur,  297 
Mathiati,  camp  at,  277 
Melaxata,  136 

Messina,  town  of,  32,  153,  247  ; strait 
of,  34 

Meteors,  35 

Millis,  orange  gardens  of,  225 
Milo,  island  of,  126,  383 
Minerals  ejected  from  Vesuvius,  242  ; 
of  Cyprus,  281 

Minerva,  temple  of,  on  Cape  Sunium, 
43 

Missolonghi,  91 
Mithags,  Sardinian,  224 
Mitylene,  island  of,  49,  314,  377  ; town 
of,  379 

Mohammed’s  wet-nurse,  262 
Monaco,  1 7 1 

Monastery,  absurdly  strict,  48 
Monreale,  excursion  to,  28 
Monte  Carlo,  171 

Montpensier,  palace  of  the  Duke  of,  200 
Moorish  costumes,  10  ; cafe , 11  ; mu- 
sic, 11,  13;  wedding,  12 


OL1 

Morfu,  294 

Morocco,  camping  in,  17 
Mosaic  decoration,  28,  29,  60 
Mosques,  Turkish  : Ahmedyeh,  60, 
338  ; Ali  Pasha,  358  ; Eyoob,  106  ; 
Pigeon,  57,  101,  343  ; St.  Sophia, 
59,  337  ; Selim  II  , 359  ; Sulieman- 
yeh,  60 

Mosquitoes,  198 
Moudania,  90,  93 
Mouflons,  302 

Murad  V.,  71  ; his  imprisonment,  351 
Murillo,  pictures  of,  196,  197 
Murray,  Captain,  317 
Music,  Moori  h,  11,  13  ; Turkish,  52  ; 

Sardinian,  228 
Mustapha  Fazil,  98 
Myrtles,  22,  48 

^bAPIER,  Lord  and  Lady,  205 
Napier,  Mr.,  331 

Naples,  158,  233,  239  ; bay  of,  232 
Naumachia,  329 
Nauplia,  gulf  of,  36 
Navarino,  36 

Navigation  laws,  breach  of,  80 
Naxos,  island  of,  249 
Nazli,  Princess,  78,  98  ; self-sacrifice 
of,  339 ; her  visits  to  the  yacht, 
102,  348  ; her  travels,  349 
Needles,  the,  5 
Negropont,  island  of,  44 
Nice,  170  ; return  by  land  from,  1 71 
Nicopi  lis,  ruins  of,  138 
Night  alarms,  31,  35,  208 
Nikaria,  312 

Nikosia,  264  ; the  Monastery  Camp 
at,  267  ; buildings  of,  271 
Nisida,  island  of,  239 
Noel,  Lieutenant,  284,  288 


QLDENBURG,  Grand  Duke  of,  82 
Olive-gathering  in  Cephalonia, 
135  ; at  Artaki,  326 


INDEX. 


445 


OLY 

Olympus,  Mount,  334 

Opera  at  Argostoli,  136;  Messina,  155  ; 

Naples,  159,  160;  Malta,  393 
Oran,  212 

Orange  gardens  of  Chios,  123,  313  ; 

Millis,  225  ; Kyrenia,  291 
Oranges,  mandarine,  15 1 
Orios,  channel  of,  44 
Oros  Stavro,  convent  of,  263 
Owl,  adventure  of  the,  313,  322 

jpADISHAH,  prayer  for  the,  320 
Psestum,  239 
Pal  tents,  272 
Palermo,  27 
Panaria,  32 
Paphos,  253 
Paris,  1 7 1,  405 
Paros,  island  of,  139,  381 
Parr,  Mr.,  403 
Partridges,  decoy,  200 
Passengers,  uninvited,  124 
Patmos,  313 
Paus,  Senor  Antonio,  23 
Peacocks,  the  Sultan’s,  86,  112,  335 
Pedseus,  river,  273 
Pellegrino,  Monte,  excursion  to,  29 
Pelleld,  drive  to,  139 
Pentadactylon  mountain,  269,  275,  290 
Pentelicus,  Mount,  44 
Pera,  52  ; the  great  fire  at,  66 
Pheasants,  wild,  84 
Phoenician  antiquities,  223 
Phosphorescence  of  the  sea,  7,  34 
Pianosa,  1 66 

Pigeon,  adventure  of  the,  317,  320 
Pilate’s  house,  198 
Pilot-fish,  207 

Pilots,  navigating  without,  37,  50 

Pindus,  Mount,  48 

Piraeus,  harbour  of,  37 

Pisani,  Count,  73 

Pitch  wells,  132 

Plates,  Rhodian,  309 

Point  St.  Matthieu,  180 


ROO 

Pompeii,  relics  from,  160;  excavations 
at,  235 

Ponies,  pugnacious,  294 
Porpoises,  7,  206 
Porters,  Constantinople,  346 
Porto  d’Anzio,  165 
Portraits,  sailors’,  240 
Portsmouth  harbour,  5,  1 75  ; collision 
in,  177 

Portugal,  coast  of,  8 
Portuguese  men-of-war,  7 
Posilippo,  159,  239 
Presepio  fair,  400 
Prevesa,  138 
Preziosi,  Mr.,  101 

Prisoners,  Turkish,  removed  from  Niko- 
sia  to  Kyrenia,  273  ; at  Rhodes,  310 
Procida,  island  of,  158 
Promotion,  Turkish,  80 
Puercas  rocks,  202 
Pulpits,  singular,  269,  301 

QUARANTINE  at  Spanish  ports, 

^ 193,  20 7 

Queen,  native  garments  made  in  Cyprus 
for  the,  276 

J)  ACES  at  Oran,  213 

Railway,  Turkish,  355 
Ramazan,  fast  of,  53,  57,  80 
Raouf  Pasha,  arrest  of,  365 
Redondela,  trip  to,  186 
Refugees,  Turkish,  336,  338,  339,  371  ; 
proposed  importation  of,  into  Cy- 
prus, 325  ; sufferings  of,  on  board 
the  ‘Asia,’  352;  desperate  railway 
ride  of,  363 

Resina,  excursion  to,  162 
Rhadmis,  ruins  of,  44 
Rhodes,  308  ; climate  of,  312 
Road-making  in  Cyprus,  279 
Rodriguez,  Senor,  23 
Roomili  Hissar,  64  ; ‘ devil’s  current  ’ 
at,  105 


446 


INDEX. 


ROS 

Rosalie,  St.,  shrine  of,  29 
Rosalio,  San,  feast  of,  201 
Rose-water  sprinkling,  297 
Roses,  green,  132,  147 
Roumania,  Prince  and  Princess  of,  2 ; 
proposed  visit  to,  74  5 puzzling  tele- 
gram from,  76  ; letter  of  explanation 
from,  89 

Round  towers,  218 
Rowing,  Turkish,  85 
Run  aground,  322 

Russian  soldier,  attempted  theft  by,  356 
Russians,  outrage  at  British  consulate 
by,  361  ; artifices  of,  374 
Rustem  Pasha,  106 
Ryde,  3,  5 

C^ABBATH,  a Sultan’s  view  of  the, 
1 14 

Sahara,  whirlwind  from  the,  216 
Sailors’  hospital,  Cadiz,  201 
St.  Alban’s  Head,  5 
St.  Plilarion,  290 

St.  John  the  Evangelist’s  cavern,  312 
St.  John,  Knights  of,  309;  Grand 
Hospital  of  the,  at  Rhodes,  310  ; 
their  buildings  in  Malta,  392 
St.  Julian,  Mount,  27 
St.  Luke,  signature  of,  301 
St.  Paul,  scene  of  his  scourging,  254 
Salamis,  island  of,  37 
Salerno,  238 
Salinas  or  salt-pans,  195 
Salt  trade,  Sardinian,  218,  23a 
Salto  di  Tiberio,  244 
Sandown,  3,  179 

San  Martino,  convent  of,  160,  234 
San  Salvador  mountain,  139 
San  Stefano,  354 
Santa  Maura,  island  of,  138 
Sardinia,  218  ; people  of,  221  ; costume 
of,  221,  222  ; seldom  visited  by 

yachts,  225 
Scala,  384 

Sculpture  used  as  ballast,  33 1 


SHI 

Scylla,  rock  of,  32 
Scyros,  island  of,  49 
Sea,  luminosity  of,  7,  34  ; blue  colour 
of,  36  ; shop  on  the,  210 
Sedan  chairs,  107 
Seismometer,  the,  242 
Selemlek,  the,  99 

Seraglio,  Constantinople,  61  ; Adria- 
nople,  358 

Seraglio  Point,  52,  94,  333 
Serenade,  birthday,  202 
Serpho,  381 

Serpieri,  Enrico,  monument  to,  227 
Sevanza  island,  27 
Seville,  excursion  to,  194 
Seymour,  Captain,  317,  320 
Sheep  for  the  sacrifice,  346 
Sherry,  unadulterated,  195 
Ships  spoken  or  alluded  to  : Achilles, 
323  ; Africaine,  16  ; Alaska,  129, 
132;  Alexandra,  323,  326,  328, 

349  ; Antelope,  75,  349  ; Asia,  352 ; 
Assistance,  1 77  ; Australia,  24  ; 
Black  Prince,  273,  274  ; Captain, 
182;  Cuckoo,  399;  Curlew,  205; 
Cygnet,  323 ; Dandolo,  233 ; Dos 
Hermanos,  23;  Duilio,  233;  Eothen, 
376;  Eurydice,  176;  Excellent,  5; 
Flamingo,  374;  Foxhound,  283,  288; 
Glen  Eagle , 283  ; Helicon,  26,  323  ; 
Hibernia,  391  ; Himalaya,  233,  235  ; 
Humber,  260,  291  ; Invincible,  323  ; 
lone,  159  ; Iron  Duke,  189  ; Italia, 
233>  235,  239  ; Khedive,  14  ; La 
Gallicionere,  179  ; La  Plata,  158  ; 
Lancashire  Witch,  204 ; Minotaur, 
25b  253>  394;  Monarch,  323,  329; 
Muffa,  1 15;  Nave  de  Tolosa,  12; 
Northumberland,  394 ; Osmanlieh, 
87  ; Pallas,  314  ; Prince  Pajowski, 
37 ; Raleigh,  260,  304  ; Research, 
314  ; Salamis,  323  ; Sarah  Smart, 
89 ; Shannon,  394  ; Sultana,  399  ; 
Swiftsure,  16;  Temeraire,  317,  374  ; 
Thunderer,  314,  321,  323,  .331; 

Torch,  37  ; Vanguard,  189  ; Violet, 


INDEX. 


447 


sno 

94,  162 ; Vittorio  Emanuele,  218,  j 
231  ; Zantha,  159 
Shooting  in  Morocco,  perils  of,  20 
Shot  across  our  bow,  49 
Siamese  coinage,  204 
Sicily,  coast  of,  27,  32,  398  ; as  a 
cruising  ground  for  yachts,  150,  398 
Sidler-Tchiflik  station,  refugees  at,  363 
Silevri,  bay  of,  94 

Silk  of  Cyprus,  276  ; manufactory  of,  at 
Broussa,  91 
Sirocco,  a,  217 

Skutari,  63  ; English  cemetery  at,  82 

Slaves,  Turkish,  79,  97,  102,  349 

Sleeper,  rousing  a,  289 

Smyrna,  116;  fever  of,  130 

Snake  on  board,  118 

Snake-charmers,  10 

Snakes,  rarity  of,  in  Cyprus,  272 

Snow  in  Corsica,  167 

Solaro,  Mount,  245 

Soldiers,  Russian,  360  ; Turkish,  318 

Solent,  the,  5,  175 

‘ Son  of  a Slave,’  109 

Sorrento,  243 

Sowajees,  street  horses  of  Constanti- 
nople, 56,  334 

Spanish  workwomen,  199 ; worshippers, 
201 

Sponge,  Kyrenian,  270 
Sport  in  Albania,  142  ; at  Alexandretta, 
372  ; at  Artaki,  330 ; in  Corsica, 
168  ; in  Cyprus,  279,  295,  303  ; in  ! 
Morocco,  17,  19 

Stafford  House  Committee,  scene  of 
their  labours,  355,  359 
Stamboul,  52,  105  ; bazaars  of,  53 
Stars,  shooting,  35 
Start  Point,  5 
Stiletto,  use  of  the,  168 
Stock,  Mr.,  case  of,  361 
Strabo,  referred  to,  308 
Strangford,  Lady,  338,  369  ; her 

hospital  at  Adrianople,  359 
Stromboli,  32,  246  ; eruption  of,  152 
Suda  Bay,  248 


TIM 

Sultan  attending  mosque,  66,  84,  103, 
347  ; working  for  the,  1 1 3 ; plot  to 
frighten  the,  367,  370 
Sultan  Valideh,  68,  350 ; why  not 
veiled,  104  ; kissed  by  the  French 
Empress,  109 
Sultanas,  71 

Sultans,  tombs  of  the,  56 
Summer,  remarkable  Turkish,  336 
Sunday,  luck  of  starting  on,  5 
Sweet  Waters  of  Asia,  65  ; of  Europe, 
65,  86,  1 1 2,  335  ; Valley  of,  88 
Sycamino,  44 

Syra,  island  of,  125  ; town  of,  379 

^ALANTA,  channel  of,  44 
‘ Tancred,  ’ cited,  340 
Tangier,  8 ; trip  from  Gibraltar  to,  16 
Taormina,  ruins  at,  156 
Tarantella  dance,  244 
Tariff  of  one  pound  each  item,  189 
Tchekmedje,  lines  of,  345 
Tcheragan,  palace  of,  87 
Tchergatasch,  362 
Tchorlou  railway  station,  355,  364 
Telemachus,  cafe  of,  137 
Telika,  vehicle  so  called,  357 
Tenedos,  49,  314 

Tenos,  379,  380  ; our  passengers  to,  125, 
Tetuan,  excursion  to,  18 
Tharras,  227 

Theatres,  ancient  Greek,  127,  156 
Theatres  at  Argostoli,  136  ; Cagliari, 
228  ; Constantinople,  79  ; Messina, 
155  ; Naples,  159 
Therapia,  65 
Therese,  Madame,  399 
Theseus,  temple  of,  39;  scene  of  his  le- 
gendary dip,  49 
Thessaly,  mountains  of,  138 
Thieves,  a village  of,  207 
Thousand  and  One  Columns,  56,  338 
Thynne,  Mr.,  317 
Tiles,  remarkable,  198,  359 
Time,  Turkish,  72 


44-8 


INDEX. 


TIM 

Timepieces,  a mania  for,  54 
Tlemcen,  214 
Tobacco  manufactory,  199 
Toilette  in  a Greek  convent,  299 
Tophaneh,  52  ; scene  at,  104 
Torpedo  experiments,  331 
Tortoise  on  deck,  333 
Trafalgar  Bay,  202 
Trikhiri,  channel  of,  48 
Troodos,  Mount,  300 
Troy,  plain  of,  49 

Truefitt’s  establishment  in  Cyprus,  262 
Tryon,  Captain,  323,  328 
Tunja,  river,  357 
Turk,  wayside  lunch  with  a,  330 
Turkey,  succession  in,  56,  71,  98  ; 
condition  of  women  in,  68,  79,  99 ; 
marriage  of  princesses  in,  72  ; time 
of  day  in,  72 
Turkeys  of  Cyprus,  275 
Turkish  ladies,  bowstringing  of,  350 ; 
self-sacrifice  of,  369  ; first  visits  ever 
paid  to  a European  by,  102,  348  ; 
ministers,  80 

Turks,  manners  of  the,  281 
Turlies,  27 

^JLYSSES,  grotto  of,  137  ; ship  of, 

16; 

Unseaworthy  ship,  94  ; her  wreck,  162 
Ushant,  6 

VAROSHIA,  287 
V Vathi,  136 
Vendetta,  the,  168 
Venetian  remains,  45  ; cannon,  188 
Venus,  statue  of,  found  in  Milo,  127 ; 

temple  of,  at  Paphos,  253 
Vesuvius,  163  ; eruption  of,  240,  242, 
245  ; ascent  of,  241 


zoo 

Viaduct,  remarkable  railway,  186 
Vietri,  237 

Vigo,  182  ; unw'holesome  water  of,  203 
Vine-growing,  195 

Virgin  Mary,  St.  Luke’s  portrait  of, 

301 

Volo,  gulf  of,  48 

Voting  at  the  bayonet’s  point,  133 
Vyner,  Mr.,  scene  of  his  murder,  44 


Yy’ARREN,  Colonel,  258 
Warships,  Italian,  233 
Watchmen,  Spanish,  183 
Waterspouts,  150 
Whales,  7 

White,  Colonel,  281,  337 
Whittaker,  Mr.,  364,  365 
Wight,  Isle  of,  3,  178 
Williams,  Sir  Fenwick,  24,  26 
Williamson,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  337 
Wine,  Greek,  42  ; manufacture  of,  in 
Cyprus,  257,  300 

Wolseley,  Sir  Garnet,  267,  277,  293  ; 
invitation  to  camp  from,  260 ; 
meeting  with,  295 
Wood,  Captain,  267 
Wood,  Mr.,  excavations  of,  121 
Woodcocks,  142 


XERES,  195 

^ASHMAK,  law  of  the,  104 
Yeni-liman,  378 
Yildiz  kiosk,  336 


2 ANTE,  35,  129 

Zoophytes,  luminous,  7 


' 


s 


' 


r 


